An Australian man who attempted to smuggle cocaine into Indonesia by hiding it inside Lindt chocolate wrappers has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars.
Lamar Aaron Ahchee faced a panel of judges at Denpasar District Court on Thursday following his arrest on May 22.
The 43-year-old son of former Queensland Senior Constable Les Ahchee, previously claimed he was helping his friend ‘Boss’ by receiving two packages at his home in Bali.
Airport customs officer Angga Aryo had recalled coming across ‘two suspicious mail packages’ sent from the UK and subsequently tested the contents of the wrappers.
A raid of Ahchee’s apartment, north of Kuta, uncovered 54 individually-wrapped Lindt chocolates – each containing 8.3g of cocaine.
Presiding judge Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima handed down his ruling on Thursday.
‘The defendant Lamar Arron Ahchee was legally and convincingly proven guilty on receiving more than five grams of narcotics,’ he said.
‘We sentence the defendant, Lamar Aaron Ahchee, to a 12-year prison term and a fine of two-billion Indonesian Rupiah (AUD$180,800) or an additional four-month prison term.’
Lamar Aaron Ahchee (pictured) was sentenced to 12 years behind bars in Indonesia
Ahchee relocated from Australia to Bali years ago (pictured with a friend)
The two boxes contained 54 Lindt chocolate packets (pictured) filled with 8.3g of cocaine each
The sentence was harsher than that recommended by the prosecutor, which pushed for Ahchee to be sentenced to nine years behind bars.
Judge Pastima pointed to several aggravating factors in Ahchee’s case.
‘The defendant’s acts do not support the government’s program to eradicate narcotics,’ he said.
‘Cocaine is classified as a dangerous narcotic and is highly destructive due to its very strong addictive properties and its ability to affect the brain’s nervous system.
‘The quantity of cocaine received was quite large and could harm many people as well as damage the quality and security of Bali’s tourism.’
‘The defendant was evasive and attempted to obscure the facts by pretending not to know the contents of the package he received.’
However, the judge conceded: ‘The defendant was polite during the trial and expressed remorse for his actions, and has never previously been convicted.’
Ahchee did not submit an appeal claim on Thursday.
Ahchee’s sister Stephanie (left) travelled to Bali to support her 43-year-old brother (right). Their father is retired Queensland Police Senior Constable Les Ahchee
The sentence handed to Ahchee (left) was harsher than that recommended by the prosecution
Ahchee (pictured) was convicted for drug trafficking, following his arrest in May 2022
Ahchee (pictured) claimed he was helping his friend ‘Boss’ when he was received two packages containing 54 Lindt chocolate wrappers allegedly containing 8.3g of cocaine each
The 43-year-old grew up playing soccer in Cairns but moved to Sydney’s well-heeled east, living in a $1.5million unit in Bellevue Hill and working as VIP manager at Marquee and later Casablanca nightclubs.
He had moved to Bali by 2019, where his online professional profiles show he worked as the director and co-founder of technology groups.
Previously, he had worked for marketing companies with strong ties to the nightlife scene in both Sydney and Bali.
In 2015, he was the director of marketing and events at Sydney Seadeck, a $5million party boat popular among glamorous Sydney socialites.
He would later work for Omnia Beach Club, a popular venue in Uluwatu for two years, before finding hospitality work in Canggu at Brick Lane.
He stepped down as the general manager of Canggu restaurant Brick Lane Bali last November after eight months in the role.
