An n man who could face the death penalty in Bali for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine into Indonesia has been identified.
Lamar Ahchee, a 43-year-old business manager from Cairns, was arrested last Thursday after he allegedly received two suspicious packages from the UK while staying in Bali.
The cocaine was allegedly concealed inside two Gold Lindt chocolate boxes, each containing 54 individual packets of the drug, with 8.3 grams wrapped inside each one.
Bali Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya alleged the packages arrived in Indonesia on May 12.
When the packages arrived at the Renon Main Post Office, customs officers at Ngurah Rai Airport scanned them using X-ray equipment and suspected they contained narcotics.
Customs officers then worked with the Bali Regional Police Narcotics Directorate to conduct a controlled delivery as part of their ongoing investigation.
Investigators 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.
Police allege he received 50m Indonesian rupiah, about A$4700, to receive and distribute the drugs.
Ahchee worked in hospitality in Canggu, and had stepped down as the general manager of Canggu restaurant Brick Lane Bali in November after eight months.
‘As I step away from general manager at Brick Lane to embark on new adventures, I want to take a moment to reflect on this incredible journey,’ he wrote on Facebook at the time.
‘From a slab of concrete to conceptualizing a new vision, redesigning, and eventually transforming this space into a true spaceship, it’s been a ride that I will always be proud of.
‘It has been an honor to be part of something so transformative, and I am truly proud of all that we’ve accomplished together.
‘Thank you to the incredible team I had the privilege of building at Brick Lane – your dedication and hard work made all the difference.’
Mr Ahchee’s online profiles reveal he has also worked as the director and co-founder of technology groups in Jakarta and Bali from 2019.
Previously, he worked for marketing companies in Sydney.
Mr Ahchee’s 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.