WA man arrested over drugs in Bali

[Tom]

Indonesian police have arrested a Peruvian-born West Australian man for allegedly dealing drugs in Bali.

 

Arevalo Stagnarro Alberto, 32, was caught with 330 grams of imported and local marijuana, as well as 0.9 grams of hashish on January 18.

 

The drugs were apparently smuggled into Bali in 8 small packages inside a Happy New Year card from Australia, Bali police narcotics division chief Bambang Sugiarto told AAP.

 

"He lives in Australia," he said.

 

"He will be charged under narcotics laws."

 

If convicted he could face up to 12 years in jail.

 

Alberto's arrest comes ahead of the trial on Thursday of Gold Coast beauty therapy student Schapelle Corby, who is accused of attempting to smuggle 4.2kg of marijuana into Bali.

 

Corby, 27, of Tugun, has been imprisoned since last October, when customs officers at Bali's Ngurah Rai airport found a plastic zip-lock bag containing cannabis leaf and heads in her unlocked bodyboard bag.

 

Corby has consistently maintained her innocence, claiming somebody must have planted the pillow case-sized stash in her luggage between Brisbane and Denpasar airports.

 

Police and prosecutors have warned they will ask for the maximum penalty of death by firing squad if she is convicted.

 

Brisbane man Christopher Currall is also on trial in Denpasar for attempting to send more than 50,000 ephedrine tablets - a precursor to amphetamines - from Bali to Darwin.

 

Author:The Age Company Ltd.

Date:January 25, 2005

Source:The Age Company Ltd.

Copyright:© 2005 AAP