Drugs allegedly mailed to Australian in Bali were gift in toothpaste tube: lawyer

Singapore/Indonesia: An Australian accountant allegedly caught with meth in Bali told his lawyers the drugs were sent to him as a “thank you present” for buying a car.

Troy Smith, from South Australia, was holidaying with his wife in the popular tourist district of Legian when he was caught at the Champlung Mas Hotel on April 30 with an alleged 3.5 grams of methamphetamine.

Australian Troy Smith has been arrested in Bali.Credit: Instagram/@TracySmith

The alleged crime carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail.

But while Indonesia’s tough-on-drugs stance can often lead to extreme punishments, including death sentences, Smith’s alleged offending was relatively small scale and his legal team hopes to have him sent to rehabilitation instead of prison.

“We are working on that because he told me that he used the drug for himself and he had no intention to distribute it,” lawyer Edward Pangkahila said.

Another member of the legal team, Sieeny Karmana, said the police fired a warning shot into the air when their client was being arrested at or near the hotel.

Bali police on Monday alleged that Smith had been sent a package containing the drugs by a man in Australia.

Most of the meth was discovered in a clear plastic bag tucked inside a tube of toothpaste, while a further 0.04 grams was in a hotel drawer, police said.

“A bong and a gas lighter were [also] taken from the perpetrator. In the interrogation room, [Smith] admitted that the meth belonged to him and that he got it from [a man] in Australia,” a police statement read.

Troy Smith with his wife Tracy.Credit: Instagram/@TracySmith

“The evidence is sufficient to prove that the perpetrator has committed drug offences based on testimonies of witnesses, the perpetrator and based on the evidence and the positive urine test, as well as the existence of meth.”

Smith’s lawyer said the alleged sender in Australia knew Smith had used methamphetamine “since years ago”.

“Troy told me that he bought [a] car and because the payment was smoothly made, [the other man] gave him the meth as a ‘thank you’,” he said.

Police said Smith’s wife, Tracy, had no knowledge of the package and had never seen her husband consume methamphetamine. Her urine test was negative, they said.

Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here.