Port Lincoln father Troy Smith facing life in prison after charges upgraded to meth trafficking
In a dramatic development, a Port Lincoln father facing life in prison over drug charges in Indonesia has been taken to hospital from custody.
SA News
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A South Australian father allegedly caught with methamphetamine in Bali was in hospital on Monday night as he faces life in prison after authorities upgraded his charges.
In a dramatic turn, just hours after police fronted the media over his case, Troy Smith was taken to Bhayangkara Hospital, which is run by Balinese authorities.
The 49-year-old was rushed to hospital from the Bali police headquarters where he was being held, with what is understood to be a back injury.
Handcuffed and wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, Mr Smith was escorted by authorities – flanked by his lawyer Ida Bagus Gumilang Galih Sakti – who said Mr Smith had been “sick” while in custody.
In bizarre scenes, Crows fan Mr Smith said “go the Power” as he was taken into the hospital’s emergency department.
He is facing the maximum prison sentence of life after his room at Champlung Mas Hotel in Legian, an area north of Kuta, was searched by police on April 30, where they allegedly discovered a package of “lubricant” that actually contained drugs.
Police have alleged that 3.15g of meth was in a Colgate toothpaste container inside the package, as it is revealed he attempted to flee police after they raided his hotel room.
Outside a police press conference on Monday morning, one of Mr Smith’s lawyers, Sienny Karmana, revealed that Mr Smith had allegedly attempted to evade arrest after authorities attended his hotel.
She said police had fired warning shots into the air before the Port Lincoln dad was detained.
Ms Karmana said her client had originally fled police “because he was scared” but had since co-operated with authorities.
“Police said that he tried to run away, but police got him back … they fired shots into the air, (Mr Smith) was surprised and then he fell down and then police got him,” she said.
Mr Smith was due to front the media at the press conference, but Ms Karmana said that plan had been abandoned because he was “mentally not that good”.
“Troy said he was not ready to speak to the media,” she said.
“He’s OK, mentally it’s like he’s breaking down … but physically he can endure this.”
Mr Smith has been charged with two drug offences under Balinese law – Article 112, for drug possession, and Article 114, for drug trafficking.
If convicted, Article 114 carries a maximum life sentence and fine of 10bn Indonesian Rupiah (AU$944,860).
Bali Police’s Deputy Director of Narcotic Unit Ponco Indriyo said Mr Smith had been charged with the drug trafficking offence because he allegedly received the drugs in Indonesia.
During the search of his hotel room, police allegedly discovered drugs on the bed, a brown envelope and a package that was sent from an address in Cairns addressed to Mr Smith.
The landlord of that Buchan St property, Graham Kirko, said Mr Smith lived at the unit block address listed on the package but “did not spend much time there”.
He said Mr Smith was an unassuming and private tenant and family had asked to “pay the rent for him” while he was incarcerated.
“He kept very much to himself. He had a couple of people come visit even in the evening and that was it, he was very quiet,” Mr Kirko said.
“From the few words I had with him I regarded him as a respectable man. He kept to himself, he didn’t cause anybody any harm or difficulties of any way shape or form.
“I regarded him as a nice bloke, I didn’t think of him as a drug addict.”
Last week, Mr Smith’s lawyers said he had bought 0.04g of meth from a Kuta street for $400 and this, as well as a bong and a lighter, were subsequently found during the raid.
However, police now allege that Mr Smith had actually brought the 0.04g of meth into the country from Australia.
The smaller amount of meth was allegedly discovered inside a sunglasses case in a drawer of a bedside table in Mr Smith’s hotel room.
Mr Smith’s new wife Tracy Ijusa, 31, was stoic as she attended the Denpasar police station on Monday to visit her husband – but, after being turned away by authorities, left overcome by emotion and fighting back tears.
The 31-year-old was arrested alongside her husband on April 30, but subsequently released without charge after telling police she did not know where Mr Smith got the drugs and returning a negative urine drug test.
She said she would stand by her husband.
One of Mr Smith’s lawyers, Ida Bagus Gumilang Galih Sakti, said the package at the centre of the drug charges – sent from Cairns where Mr Smith has lived since 2022 – was unsolicited.
On Monday morning, Mr Sakti said he would ask police to investigate who sent the package, saying the sender had “made his client suffer”.
He said he believed the package was linked to the sale of a car involving Mr Smith.
“I heard from Troy … that this (the package) was a present (related to the purchase of the car), because the sender knew that (Mr Smith) was a user,” Mr Sakti said, referring to Mr Smith’s known history of methamphetamine use.
Mr Sakti said his client “did not know” that the drugs would be sent to him, but that Mr Smith had been addicted to meth since 2020.
Mr Smith, who left Port Lincoln for Cairns in Far North Queensland in 2022, had arrived in Bali a week before the arrest and planned to stay for a month.
The Advertiser understands Mr Smith’s children and ex-partner, also from Port Lincoln, are no longer in communication with him.
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