Brazil woman Manuela Vitoria de Araujo Farias fighting firing squad death in ... trends now
Indonesian authorities have demanded a Brazilian teenager arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs into Bali face a firing squad in a stark warning for all tourists visiting the holiday island.
Brazilian Manuela Vitoria de Araujo Farias, 19, claims she was tricked by a gang after three kilograms of cocaine were allegedly found in her luggage when she arrived in January.
Ms Farias flew into Bali from Brazil via Qatar, but the drugs were not detected until she landed in Bali.
She has been in custody since then, charged with international drug trafficking.
Global press agency Newsflash reported that prosecutors demanded the maximum penalty - either death by firing squad or life in prison - last week.
Brazilian Manuela Vitoria de Araujo Farias, 19, claims she was tricked by a gang after three kilograms of cocaine were allegedly found in her luggage when she arrived in Bali January
She has been in custody since then, charged with international drug trafficking
Prosecutors allege she was working with a drug gang to smuggle the cocaine into Bali.
But lawyer, Davi Lira da Silva, said Ms Farias was only in Bali to visit temples where monks pray for the sick, as her mother recently suffered a stroke.
Her lawyers said she was going to seek Buddhist prayers for a cure.
Mr da Silva claimed the teen was tricked into co-operating after the gang who hired her told her of the temples to win her trust.
'They said that she could pray in the temples to ask for her mother's healing,' he said.
Her lawyer also claimed her client sold lingerie and perfume for a living but was tricked by people she trusted.
They also claimed that the gang had promised to pay for surf lessons for the young woman once she arrived in the country.
If Ms Farias manages to escape the firing squad, she would still face life imprisonment in Indonesia.
Her bleak fate serves as a warning to tourists visiting the holiday paradise.
Global press agency Newsflash reported that prosecutors demanded the maximum penalty last week
Ms Farias flew into Bali from Brazil via Qatar, but the drugs were not detected until she landed in Bali
Thousands of Australians have flocked to Bali since the holiday island's international borders reopened in March 2022 for the first time in two years.
Around 1.23 million Australians visited Bali in 2019 before international borders shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The death penalty exists for many crimes in Indonesia including drug smuggling, according to Australian government website Smart Traveller.
Drug possession and banned activities such as smoking in a public place and gambling also can result in jail time.
'Penalties for drug offences include heavy fines, long prison sentences and the death penalty. Police target tourist destinations,' the website states.
'You may face heavy fines or jail for possessing even small amounts of drugs, including marijuana.'
Cannabis-based
