6 days Ago By Chanshimla Varah
The last five members of the "Bali Nine" drug trafficking group have been released from Indonesian custody and returned to Australia . The development comes after a diplomatic deal between Canberra and Jakarta , bringing their nearly 20-year imprisonment to an end. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed their return, saying, "I am pleased to confirm that Australian citizens, Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush and Martin Stephens have returned to Australia this afternoon.
" 'Bali Nine' arrest and execution strained bilateral relations The "Bali Nine" were arrested in 2005 for trying to smuggle over eight kilograms of heroin from Bali's international airport to Australia. The case has been a long-standing source of friction between the two countries. In 2015, Indonesia executed the group's two Australian ringleaders, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, a move then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott called "a dark moment in the relationship.
" Diplomatic discussions lead to release of remaining members Recently, the case of the remaining "Bali Nine" members was taken up by Albanese with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto during the APEC Summit in Peru . After these discussions, Indonesia agreed to release the remaining members. Thanking the Indonesian government, Albanese said, "I thank President Prabowo Subianto for his compassion.
" The five men are now due to be freed in Australia. Released Australians to continue rehabilitation in Australia The "Bali Nine" were arrested after a tip-off from Australian authorities led Indonesian police to arrest four members at Denpasar International Airport with heroin strapped to their bodies. The infamous case highlighted Indonesia's stringent drug trafficking laws, which have seen several foreigners detained on similar charges.
After the arrests, Chan and Sukumaran's sentences were executed in 2015, while the other seven were handed life sentences following an appeal. 'Bali Nine' case highlights Indonesia's strict drug laws Renae Lawrence, the only woman in the group, was released in 2018 after serving 13 years for good behavior. She had also been initially sentenced to life in prison.
Another member, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, died from kidney cancer while in custody in 2018, according to Nine News . The case gained global headlines when two of the gang's ringleaders, Chan and Sukumaran, were killed by firing squad in 2015..
