The n man who could face the death penalty for allegedly attempting to smuggle $1.1m of narcotics into Indonesia has claimed he was ‘set up’.
Lamar Ahchee, 43, the son of former Queensland Senior Constable Les Ahchee, was arrested in Bali last Thursday after he was allegedly caught collecting two parcels sent from the UK.
About 1.8kg of cocaine was allegedly hidden inside two Gold Lindt chocolate boxes, each containing 54 individual packets of the drug, with 8.3g wrapped inside each one.
The former tech manager originally from Cairns in Far North Queensland has allegedly tested positive for drugs while in police custody, The Daily Telegraph reported.
His lawyer Edward Pangkahila told reporters that his client firmly denied dealing drugs, but conceded that Ahchee was a ‘drug addict’.
‘It’s not true, he didn’t admit [to dealing], he is shocked about the case, he never thought that would happen,’ he told the publication.
‘Lamar has been set up by someone called ‘Boss’,’ he added, referencing a stranger in England who allegedly sent the boxes.
‘He was told to collect the package, but he actually didn’t know what the package was… He thought it was a normal package.
‘He’s telling me that honestly, he doesn’t know what was inside.
‘We’re still looking for that somebody who tell him to take this package.’
Mr Pangkahila added that Ahchee was ‘very upset and stressed’ at the prospect he could face the death penalty if he is found guilty.
He called on police to track down the person who allegedly set up his client.
‘If we can get this guy, we will find out the whole story here,’ he said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed consular assistance is being provided to an n man detained in Bali but wouldn’t comment further due to ‘privacy obligations’.
A former schoolmate who attended St Augustine’s Catholic College with Ahchee was ‘very shocked’ to hear about the arrest.
‘I held him in high regard,’ he told the Cairns Post.
‘He was a very good soccer player, a very good student, he wasn’t someone who was in trouble or anything, I was very shocked when I heard the news.
‘I can’t remember what Lamar did around Cairns, but I think he took off not long after high school.’
Bali Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya alleged the packages arrived in Indonesia on May 12.
When the boxes arrived at the Renon Main Post Office, customs officers at Ngurah Rai Airport scanned them and suspected they contained narcotics.
Officers and the Bali Regional Police Narcotics Directorate organised a controlled delivery as part of their investigation.
They allege the first package came from Runwell, east of London, and was addressed to ‘Alex and Julie’ in Kuta Utara, near Canggu.
The second was allegedly sent from Braintree, a town east of London, to ‘Dave Jones’ in the same region.
The following day, police allege Ahchee asked a driver to collect the packages from the post office.
They met at a restaurant on May 22, and the n businessman allegedly took the packages back to Canggu.
Ahchee was then arrested by the Bali drug squad and allegedly suffered several injuries while resisting arrest.
Police allegedly seized 1.8kg of cocaine, which, under Indonesian law, is enough to warrant the death penalty.
They allege he offered almost 50million Indonesian rupiah, about A$4700, to receive and distribute the drugs.
Ahchee has been charged with three drug offences, including importing drugs.
Originally from Cairns, Ahchee has been living in Bali 2017.
He worked in hospitality and had stepped down as the general manager of Canggu restaurant Brick Lane Bali in November after eight months.
His online profiles revealed he worked as the director and co-founder of tech groups in Jakarta and Bali from 2019, as well as previously for marketing firms in Sydney.
His arrest comes five months after the remaining members of the Bali Nine returned to following their conviction for smuggling heroin in 2005.
Matthew Norman, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, Scott Rush and Michael Czugaj flew back to on a Jetstar commercial flight in December last year.
The Aussies were arrested alongside Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen and Renae Lawrence in Bali in April 2005.
Ringleaders Chan and Sukumaran were executed by firing squad in April 2015.
Stephens’ former cellmate Nguyen died in a Jakarta hospital in 2018 following a battle with cancer.
Lawrence, who was the only member not to get a death sentence or life behind bars, was released in 2018 after her sentence was reduced to 20 years on appeal.
The group attempted to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin strapped to their bodies from the holiday island.