After reportedly having over 4kg of cocaine which is discovered in her suitcase upon arrival in Indonesia, a Brazilian teenager might be sentenced to death. Manuella Vitoria de Araujo (19) is accused of working for a narcotics cartel when she was detained upon arrival at Bali International Airport on New Year’s Eve for reportedly having 3.9 kg of cocaine in her luggage.
The Brazilian teen’s attorneys, however, contend that she was deceived by the cartel gang, asserting that they made her a promise of surfing lessons while she was uninformed of her illicit cargo. She was accused of trafficking drugs, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. A death sentence is an option in the most severe circumstances under Indonesia’s zero-tolerance policy for drug offences.
The Brazilian teenager is awaiting trial as her defence team attempts to collect evidence demonstrating that the teenage girl was unaware of narcotics in her suitcase when she arrived on the 31st of December, 2022.
Media were informed on the 27th of January by Bali Police Chief Inspector General Putu Jayan Danu Putra that “the Bali airport customs thwarted the drug smuggling attempt.”
He added, a form of benzodiazepine called clonazepam, weighing 1.63 grams, was reportedly discovered in Manuella’s suitcase. Davi Lira da Silva, a specialized attorney, had been hired by Manuela’s family in Belém, Para, to arbitrate with the Indonesian Department of Justice.
On Tuesday, the 11th of April, and Thursday, the 13th of April, Manuella spoke with her family members. Silva claims that Manuella was a “mule” for a criminal organization in Santa Catarina that exploited her to transport cocaine.
She travelled under the pretence that Manuella would receive surf instruction once she arrived in Bali, says Silva, and the Brazilian teenager had no idea what was in her luggage.
Manuella’s family is concerned about the possibility of the death sentence. Brazilian drug traffickers Rodrigo Muxfeldt Goularte, 42, and Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira, 53, were put to death in Indonesia in 2015. The Brazilian embassy in Indonesia is watching Manuela’s condition.
Find more information about Indonesia zero tolerance drug laws here
As per this article released, no certain date is set for Manuella’s trial. However, looking at the time she was detained on New Year’s Eve, her trial should start very soon.
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