Crime
British Woman ‘Ashamed’ at Bali Cocaine Trial
CHIANGRAI TIMES – Lindsay June Sandiford, the British woman on trial for trying to smuggle nearly 5 kilograms of cocaine from Bangkok to Bali in May, expressed deep regret and apologized for her actions.
Sandiford made the apology during her trial at the Denpasar District Court, saying she felt really terrible for her crime.
“I feel really terrible, ashamed and horrible,” Sandiford told Amser Simanjuntak, the judge presiding over her trial, on Thursday.
During the trial, Sandiford said she committed the crime because Julian Anthony Ponder, another British national separately on trial, threatened to kill her son.
Sandiford was arrested by customs and excise officers at Ngurah Rai Airport on May 28 with nearly 4.7 kilograms of cocaine hidden in her luggage.Sandiford said that Ponder made the threat via phone in March. She added that she was ordered to go to Bangkok on May 12 to smuggle the cocaine to Bali.
During her seven-day stay in Bangkok, Lindsay met with Rachel Dougal, Julian’s wife, and Paul Beales. Both of them are also on trial.
“Rachel ordered the cocaine and Paul’s job was to pack it into the luggage,” Sandiford said.
Sandiford was arrested by customs and excise officers at Ngurah Rai Airport on May 28 with nearly 4.7 kilograms of cocaine hidden in her luggage.
“When I arrived at the Bali airport, I was afraid. I knew I had made a mistake but I was worried about my son,” she said.
Sandiford and Ponder are said to be members of a drug ring comprising four British and one Indian national.
The amount of drugs the group attempted to smuggle is estimated to have a street value of more than Rp 23 billion ($2.5 million). The act violates article 113 on the 2009 Narcotics Law, which carries the death penalty.
According to the indictment, Sandiford told investigators she was supposed to hand the cocaine over to Ponder.
Police arrested Ponder and wife Dougal in their rented Tabanan villa, where they found 68 grams of cocaine.
Indian national Nanda Gophal was also apprehended in the bust. – Arya Kencana
