Officials confirmed his alleged crime is ‘punishable by death’
A British man is facing the death penalty in Indonesia after being arrested on suspicion of dealing ecstasy in the country.
Thomas Parker, 32, was arrested outside his holiday villa in Bali earlier this year, having already been under police monitoring after entering Indonesia from Thailand.
Police believe he is part of an international drug ring operating out of Hungary and started tracking his movements, claiming that he acted suspiciously as he received a package of MDMA that was delivered to him on 21 January.
Parker allegedly panicked and tried to throw away the package before being arrested.
Brigadier General Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat, from the Bali Province National Narcotics Agency said they opened up the package and found that it contained a light brown powder that turned out to be MDMA, which is commonly known as ecstasy.
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32-year-old Brit Thomas Parker faces the death penalty if he is convicted (ViralPress)
“After conducting a search and arrest, Thomas and the evidence were taken to the Bali Province National Narcotics Agency office for investigation,” the official said.
“He was ordered by his boss to pick up a package in Bali after flying from Thailand.
“The parcel contained MDMA which is illegal and punishable by death.”
The Brit was shown being presented to cameras yesterday (6 March) wearing an orange prison jumpsuit alongside other suspects in drug related cases.
If found guilty, the jailed Brit may be sentenced to death and the punishment could be carried out by firing squad, though authorities are still trying to work out the identity of the person who sent him the package and it’s possible that Parker could receive a lighter sentence if he co-operates with authorities.
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The Brit is facing allegations of dealing a kilogram of ecstasy in Bali (ViralPress)
The powder from the package was publicly tested and identified as just over a kilogram MDMA at a press conference, with it then being burned in an incinerator.
In Indonesia, possessing fewer than five grams of MDMA can land you with a jail sentence of between five and 15 years, while for over five grams the death penalty may be imposed.
Indonesia has tough laws on drugs and tends to crack down hard on those who are caught.
A British grandmother has spent several years on death row in the country after she was charged with smuggling £1.6 million of cocaine into Bali from Bangkok.
The last 19 people executed in Indonesia had all been sentenced for drug trafficking, and there are a number of foreign nationals on the country’s death row.
Indonesia has not executed a prisoner on death row since 2016.
