Alleged drug trafficker facing death penalty in Jakarta

A Victorian man could face the death penalty after he was detained at Bali’s international airport for alleged drug trafficking. The 54-year-old from Ballarat, identified as Edward Myatt, was detained by Indonesian authorities on Tuesday. Authorities said he was allegedly carrying a large quantity of drugs concealed on his body in up to 70 capsules, and that he had swallowed a number of the capsules. The drugs are yet to be analysed, but a police source says it’s possible that the capsules contain heroin, or methamphetamine, commonly known in Australia as ice. Mr Myatt was detained after arriving on a flight from Bangkok. Authorities became suspicious and took him to a drug screening area at the airport and the drugs were found on his person. Believing he might have swallowed some of the capsules, the authorities had him taken to hospital, where he was X-rayed. A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra confirmed the man had been detained. It was expected that he would be charged with drug offences, the spokesperson said. “Consular officials in Bali are seeking access in order to offer consular assistance to the man,” the spokesperson said. Indonesia is known for its harsh anti-drugs laws. Mr Myatt could face the death penalty if convicted of drug trafficking. Two other Australians - Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan - remain on death row for their part in a 2005 plot to smuggle more than 8kg of heroin from Bali to Australia. The two men, members of the group known as the Bali Nine, are expected to lodge an appeal for clemency from Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono later this year. The man arrested on Tuesday is likely to be held at Kerobokan jail after he is charged. The jail already houses 12 Australians - the Bali Nine, as well as the Gold Coast’s Schapelle Corby and Sydney man Michael Sacactides.