Bali officials detain New Zealand man after record prescription pill haul
A New Zealand man with the intellectual ability of a 10-year-old has been detained for attempting to enter Bali with thousands of prescription drug tablets.
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A mentally disabled New Zealand man has been detained in Bali for attempting to enter the holiday island with nearly 5000 tablets of prescription medications.
Thomas Michael Daly, 38, flew to the island from Sydney, when Indonesian customs spotted a huge number of tablets during routine luggage X-rays last Friday. Police later found 9450 prescription pills separated into individual zip locked bags.
Australia security consultant John McLeod said that Mr Daly, suffers from schizophrenia and has the intellectual ability of a 10-year-old child. He also has diabetes and has suffers kidney failure.
“Tom is in possession of a doctor’s letter for 14 different types of medication that he is on and pharmacists has provided him with a 12-month supply of the medications,” Mr McLeod said.
Mr Daly, a furniture removalist from Whangarei in New Zealand’s North Island, planned a nine-month trip taking in Bali, Thailand and Vietnam where he planned to buy a camper van for travelling. He had only NZ$3000 in his possession.
“Tom’s intellectual ability mirrors that of a ten — year-old,” Mr McLeod, a former Australian police officer turned trouble shooter who has represented Schapelle Corby and scores of other Aussies who find themselves in trouble in Bali.
According to Mr McLeod, Mr Daly had his bags packed and ready by November for his February holiday and had been making Lego creations in the image of Bali, swimming pools and palm trees. He also packed soft toys for the vacation.
“The whole thing is actually quite sad. In his social media – which I have since deleted – you could see the phases of planning for this trip. It showed how excited he was.
“He has no comprehension of the trouble he is in,” Mr McLeod said.
Mr Daly was taken to Bali’s Bhayangkara police hospital for examination.
“It’s the biggest prescription drug haul in Bali’s history. Having said that the Indonesian police have been marvellous and the hospital here has been fantastic. We will get more documents (to support Mr Daly’s position). Polda (police) has been fantastic and sympathetic to our cause. We’re trying all that we can to have him released as soon as possible,” Mr McLeod said.
Indonesian police have accepted Mr McLeod as a guarantor for Mr Daly and agreed that he will not be detained.
In November Australian air force veteran Michael Petersen was detained in Bali for several days for carrying prescribed 87 dextroamphetamine pills, which he had declared at Customs and which he used with medical supervision for an ongoing condition. He faced a potential 20 years in jail for possession the narcotics that are illegal in Indonesia. Adelaide Instagram model Tory Hunter had also been detained for bringing dextroamphetamine into the popular holiday island.
Mr McLeod questioned why New Zealand pharmacists would dispense such a quantity of medications given the countries that Mr Daly was planning to visit.
“I have read the letters that show that he is aware that he has to fill and carry his prescriptions with him through four different countries. In either of the countries, this would have landed him in a cell. For a pharmacist to fill those script really makes you have to question their actions. Tom is a statistic of the system,” Mr McLeod said.