An Australian national has been handed a severe 12-year prison sentence in Indonesia for his role in a drug smuggling operation that used Lindt chocolate wrappers as a concealment method.
The Arrest and Court Ruling
Lamar Aaron Ahchee, 43, faced judges at Denpasar District Court on Thursday following his arrest on May 22. Presiding judge Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima declared the defendant legally and convincingly guilty of receiving more than five grams of narcotics.
The court sentenced Ahchee to a 12-year prison term and imposed a hefty fine of two billion Indonesian Rupiah (approximately AUD$180,800). Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional four-month prison sentence.
How the Smuggling Operation Unravelled
The case began when airport customs officer Angga Aryo identified two suspicious mail packages sent from the United Kingdom. Upon testing the contents, authorities discovered the illicit material.
A subsequent raid on Ahchee's apartment, located north of the tourist area Kuta, uncovered the elaborate concealment. Inside were 54 individually-wrapped Lindt chocolates, each containing 8.3 grams of cocaine.
During proceedings, Ahchee claimed he was merely assisting a friend known as 'Boss' by receiving the packages at his Bali home, and pretended to be unaware of their contents.
Aggravating Factors and Harsher Sentence
Notably, the 12-year sentence exceeded the nine-year term requested by the prosecution. Judge Pastima pointed to several aggravating factors that justified the stricter penalty.
He stated that Ahchee's actions undermined the government's narcotics eradication programme and highlighted the destructive, highly addictive nature of cocaine. The judge also emphasised that the quantity seized was large enough to harm many people and damage Bali's tourism security and quality.
Furthermore, the court noted that Ahchee was evasive and attempted to obscure the facts during the investigation. The only mitigating factors were his politeness during the trial, his expression of remorse, and his lack of prior convictions.
Ahchee, who did not submit an appeal claim on Thursday, is the son of former Queensland Police Senior Constable Les Ahchee. His sister Stephanie travelled to Bali to support him during the trial.
Background and Life in Bali
Ahchee, who grew up playing soccer in Cairns, had relocated from Australia to Bali years ago, reportedly by 2019. Prior to his move, he lived in a $1.5 million unit in Sydney's affluent Bellevue Hill and worked in the nightlife scene as a VIP manager at venues like Marquee and Casablanca.
In Bali, his online profiles showed he worked as a director and co-founder of technology groups. His career had strong ties to hospitality and marketing, having previously worked for the Sydney Seadeck party boat, the Omnia Beach Club in Uluwatu, and as general manager of the Canggu restaurant Brick Lane Bali until November last year.
