An Indonesian court has handed down a severe 12-year prison sentence to an Australian citizen convicted of smuggling a substantial quantity of cocaine onto the holiday island of Bali.
The Arrest and Seizure in Kuta
Lamar Aaron Ahchee, a 43-year-old from Cairns in Queensland, was arrested in May following a police raid on his rented villa near the popular Kuta beach. During the operation, authorities confiscated 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, which was divided into 206 small clip-seal plastic bags. Police also seized a digital scale and a mobile phone as evidence.
The arrest was the culmination of an investigation by Bali's anti-drug surveillance units, who had identified that Ahchee received two suspicious parcels mailed from England. He was subsequently detained on suspicion of importing and intending to distribute narcotics.
Court Verdict Exceeds Prosecutor's Demand
Presiding judge Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima announced the verdict from a three-judge panel at Denpasar District Court on Thursday, 18 December 2025. The court imposed a 12-year prison term and a fine of 2 billion rupiah (approximately $119,583).
Notably, this sentence was harsher than the nine-year term initially requested by prosecutors. During the trial, Ahchee maintained his innocence, denying any knowledge that the packages he received contained cocaine.
Factors Behind the Harsh Sentence
Judge Pastima outlined several aggravating factors considered by the panel. These included the large volume of cocaine involved, which the court stated had the potential to harm many individuals and damage Bali's critical tourism sector by threatening safety and quality.
The judge also noted that the defendant had been "evasive and tried to obscure the facts" during proceedings, which further influenced the decision to deliver a more severe punishment than prosecutors sought.
This case highlights Indonesia's notoriously strict approach to drug crimes. According to the United Nations, the nation remains a major smuggling hub, partly due to international syndicates targeting its young population. Data from Indonesia's Ministry of Immigration and Corrections reveals that about 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are currently on death row, predominantly for drug offences. The country last carried out executions in July 2016.
