An Australian dad allegedly caught with meth in Bali has had his most severe charge dropped after authorities agreed that the drugs were purely for personal use.
Troy Smith, from Port Lincoln in South Australia, was allegedly caught with 3.19g of methamphetamine at Champlung Mas Hotel in Legian, Bali, on April 30.
Police allegedly found a further 0.4g of the drug that had been bought in Bali, along with a bong and a lighter.
Mr Smith, 49, was charged with drug possession before Indonesian authorities upgraded it to drug trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Troy Smith, 49, is no longer facing life behind bars after allegedly being caught with meth in Bali
The package that was delivered to Troy Smith in Bali, which allegedly contained drugs
On Monday, Bali Prosecutor Office Spokesperson Putu Agus Eka Sabana Putra said Mr Smith’s trafficking offence had been dropped to a less serious drug use charge.
This means that Smith is no longer facing the maximum life penalty.
Instead, if convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison and a fine of approximately $739,340, or if found to be a drug addict by the court, he could face a stint in a rehab facility.
Mr Smith’s lawyer, Sienny Karmana, told The Advertiser his charges were reduced after Bali’s National Narcotic Agency concluded he was using drugs for himself.
‘The drugs assessment team found him as a drug user,’ Ms Karmana said.
‘He has been addicted to drugs for years.’
The narcotics agency, which determines whether people arrested on drug charges in Indonesia are users, addicts or dealers, also concluded that Mr Smith was not part of any narcotic syndicate.
Ms Karmana said her client needed rehab more than he needed jail.
‘We, as lawyers, only hope that the judge could sentence him to rehabilitation as he has suffered addiction.
‘What he needs now is rehabilitation, not jail.’
Police allegedly found 3.14g of methamphetamine concealed in a Colgate toothpaste tube that had been sent to Smith from Cairns, in a package that was labelled as containing private paperwork, photos and lubricant.
Smith’s lawyers said the drug package was allegedly sent to him by a friend as thanks for helping with the purchase of a car, and Smith did not know what it contained.
Following his arrest, Mr Smith was initially being held in a shared prison cell with a dozen other inmates and only had a bucket to use as a toilet.
However, last week, Smith was transferred to the Anargya Sober House Bali rehabilitation facility where he will remain while facing his charges.
Mr Smith is expected to face trial in the coming weeks.
John McLeod, who worked to help free Schapelle Corby from jail has been hired by Mr Smith’s family to assist them with his case.
Just weeks ago, Mr Smith was enjoying a globetrotting life as a newlywed, having tied the knot with his wife, Tracy Ijusa, after they met on Tinder.
He proposed in Bali in October, and the pair married at the end of December in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, where Ms Ijusa is from.
Photos from the day show the pair loved up at the Lenana Mount Hotel, while other photos show them visiting the Maasai Mara National Reserve wildlife conservation park.
The couple then returned to Bali, with snaps showing the pair enjoying time on the Indonesian island since February.
The father-of-two had been holidaying with his new wife, Tracy, at the time of his arrest
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