Australian Convicted Drug Smugglers Set For Execution In Indonesia

Two Australian convicted drug smugglers sentence to death in Indonesia were moved to an execution island to face a firing squad.

By H. Nelson Goodson

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 3, 2015

Bali, Indonesia - Two Australian convicted drug smugglers, Andrew Chan, 31, and Myuran Sukumaran, 33, were transferred around 5:18 a.m. from Kerobocan prison to execution island to face a firing squad. They have spent ten years in prison and are scheduled to be executed within 48 hours at Nusakambangan island.

Indonesia has the death penalty for drug smugglers. Both Chan and Sukumaran, known as the Bali Nine heroin smuggling ring leaders were sentenced to death for attempting to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia. Another six members of the Bali Nine heroin smuggling ring were sentenced to death,  Chen Si Yi, 29, Tach Duc Thanh Nguyen, 31, Matthew Norman, 28, Scott Anthony Rush, 29, Martin Eric Stephens, 39, and Michael Czugaj, 29, but their sentences were later commutted to life in prison.

Renae Lawrence, 37, was sentenced to 20-years in prison for trying to smuggle out of Indonesia 2.689 kg (5.33 lbs) of heroin.

Rush had 1.3 kg (2.9 lbs.) of heroin, Czugaj had 1.75 kg (3.9 lbs.) of heroin and Stephens had 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs.) of heroin, they were considered mules (traffickers who smuggle drugs on their body). Sukumaran, Chen and Nguyen had 334 g (11.8 oz) of heroin at a hotel room when arrested. The mules confessed that both Sukumaran and Chan were the drug smuggling ring leaders, according to the criminal complaint in Indonesia.