Kasarin Khamkhao (centre) and Sanicha Maneetes

INDONESIA: THAI DRUG SMUGGLERS DODGE DEATH PENALTY IN BALI

February 27, 2020:

Two Thai women convicted of smuggling methamphetamine into Bali on 26 February 2020 escaped a possible death sentence on the Indonesian holiday island after a court sentenced them to 16 years in jail.
The district court in Bali's capital Denpasar said Kasarin Khamkhao and Sanicha Maneetes — a janitor and an operator of a motorcycle rental shop in Thailand  — had shown remorse for their crimes and deserved leniency.
The verdict comes four months after the pair were arrested by suspicious airport officials who found nearly a kilogramme of methamphetamine hidden under their clothes after arriving on a flight from Bangkok.
At the time of their October arrest, police said the Thai women could face a firing squad if found guilty.
Prosecutors, who had demanded a 19-year jail term, said on 26 February they may appeal against the lighter-than-requested sentences.
The two Thais must also pay 1 billion rupiah (2.23 million baht) each in fines or have three more months tacked on to their sentence, the court said.