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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/10/briton-and-australian-arrested-in-bali-over-drug-possesssion
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| Briton and Australian arrested in Bali over drug possesssion | Briton and Australian arrested in Bali over drug possesssion |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Police in Bali arrested an Australian and a Briton over the weekend and have accused them of possessing more than 17 grams of cannabis resin. | Police in Bali arrested an Australian and a Briton over the weekend and have accused them of possessing more than 17 grams of cannabis resin. |
| Guiseppe Serafino, 48, from Perth and David Matthew, 54 from Shrewsbury in Shropshire, remain in custody and are being interrogated for drug possession, a crime which carries a maximum 12-year sentence. | |
| Indonesian police said both had been living in Bali for five years, according to News Corp Australia. It said the duo were arrested on Saturday following a tipoff from a local resident. | |
| The Denpasar police chief, Hadi Purnomo, was cited as saying Serafino had hashish, or cannabis resin, weighing 7.2 grams inside a black bag in Sanur, a coastal town on the south-east of Bali island. | |
| He said the detained Australian then arranged to meet Matthew in an apparent police sting at a bar in Sanur, where about 10 grams were allegedly found on the British man. | |
| Both men remain at Denpasar police station. | Both men remain at Denpasar police station. |
| The pair could receive between four and 12 years imprisonment and fines close to £500,000. | The pair could receive between four and 12 years imprisonment and fines close to £500,000. |
| Indonesia has some of the harshest drugs laws in the world and even small amounts of narcotics can lead to years in jail. The death penalty has been used for drug smuggling charges. | Indonesia has some of the harshest drugs laws in the world and even small amounts of narcotics can lead to years in jail. The death penalty has been used for drug smuggling charges. |
| The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, has promised to crack down on drug traffickers and four prisoners were shot dead in July. They were the first executions since 14 people were killed last year, nationals of Brazil, the Netherlands and Nigeria among others, as well as two Australian men. | The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, has promised to crack down on drug traffickers and four prisoners were shot dead in July. They were the first executions since 14 people were killed last year, nationals of Brazil, the Netherlands and Nigeria among others, as well as two Australian men. |
| Two Britons, Lindsay Sandiford and Gareth Cashmore, remain on death row in the south-east Asian nation. | Two Britons, Lindsay Sandiford and Gareth Cashmore, remain on death row in the south-east Asian nation. |
| Asked about Matthew’s detention, the British Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Australian media cited the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as saying it was aware an Australian had been arrested. | Asked about Matthew’s detention, the British Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Australian media cited the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as saying it was aware an Australian had been arrested. |
| “Our consulate-general in Bali is making arrangements to visit the man and stands ready to provide consular assistance,” a spokesperson said. | “Our consulate-general in Bali is making arrangements to visit the man and stands ready to provide consular assistance,” a spokesperson said. |