Australian Man Faces 12-Year Sentence in Bali for Meth Possession

An Australian man, Troy Andrew Smith, is on trial in Bali for possessing methamphetamine, facing up to 12 years in prison. Smith, arrested after police found 3.15 grams of meth in his hotel room, confessed to drug use to quit alcohol. Authorities have ruled out trafficking charges.

A court on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali began the trial on Thursday of an Australian man charged with possessing methamphetamine, facing up to 12 years in prison under tough drug laws.

Troy Andrew Smith, hailing from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was detained on April 30 following a police raid on his hotel near Kuta beach. Authorities seized 3.15 grams (0.1 ounce) of crystal methamphetamine from his room.

The arrest came after a tip-off about a suspicious package containing toothpaste mailed from Australia to Smith. Prosecutors at Denpasar District Court, the capital of Bali, said Smith violated anti-narcotics laws, which carry a potential 12-year prison sentence and a fine of 8 billion rupiah (USD 491,000).

Authorities downgraded the initial charge of drug trafficking—a charge carrying a possible death penalty—to drug use following a police assessment that identified Smith as a user. Lead prosecutor Isa Ulinnuha said Smith confessed to using drugs since 2020 to curb alcohol consumption and denied involvement in drug dealing.

“He was not involved in illicit narcotics trafficking, but was a moderate-level narcotic abuser,” said Ulinnuha, recommending a psychological evaluation and at least six months of inpatient medical rehabilitation at a government facility. The trial has been adjourned until June 20.

Indonesia enforces stringent drug laws, executing convicted traffickers by firing squad. Over 150 people, mostly foreign nationals, are on death row for drug-related crimes. Since President Joko Widodo took office in 2014, 18 individuals convicted of drug offenses have been executed.