Antony de Malmanche found guilty of smuggling drugs into Bali

Antony de Malmanche stands inside a cell in Bali. Photo / AP

Kiwi Antony de Malmanche has been found guilty of smuggling almost 2kg of methamphetamine into Bali and sentenced to 15 years prison.

The 53-year-old Whanganui man was arrested in December, when 1.7kg of crystal methamphetamine was found in his backpack at the Denpasar International Airport.

Antony de Malmanche is escorted by an Indonesian prison guard as he arrives at Denpasar District Court. Photo / AP

Earlier this month it was reported prosecutors would not be seeking the death penalty, and instead argued de Malmanche should be jailed for 18 years.

The 53-year-old claims he didn't know the crystal meth was in his backpack when he flew to Bali on December 1, where he believed he would be meeting a woman he met online.