Suspects fear reprisals

SYDNEY - Australian police will investigate claims made by the nine Australians arrested for drug smuggling in Bali that their families would be killed if they named the people behind the trafficking operation.

The eight men and one woman, aged between 18 and 29, were arrested on the Indonesian holiday island on Sunday as they were preparing to fly back to Australia with 8.65kg of heroin.

Indonesian police released dramatic footage showing some of the group with packets of heroin taped to their bodies shortly after they were arrested at Denpasar airport.

The Australians had been told to strip down to their underwear by Indonesian police, who were filmed peeling off duct tape and packets of heroin from around the suspects' waists and thighs.

One of the suspects, Martin Stephens, 29, from Wollongong in New South Wales, was heard on the tape asking Renae Lawrence, 27, from Newcastle, New South Wales, whether they should provide the names of those who set up the smuggling attempt.

Choking back tears, Lawrence replied: "What's the point? If we dob them in they'll kill our families and we're dead anyway.

"Don't tell them, they'll leave our families alone."

Australian Federal Police officers said they were taking the comments seriously.

"We're talking about Australian citizens there who have made some very specific allegations on national television," said Mike Phelan, the AFP's head of international operations.

"That's something that we have to have a look at. We're not going to dismiss it out of hand."

The conversation between Stephens and Lawrence suggested the nine might not have been acting alone and that they may have been backed by a professional drug-smuggling syndicate.

"We're talking about in excess of 10kg of heroin that's alleged to have been on its way here," Phelan said.

"That in itself requires a rather significant distribution network, so we'd like to think that there are still avenues of inquiry there that we can follow up."

Australian detectives are expected to fly to Bali in the next day or two in search of leads which might help them hunt down other members of the syndicate who, they believe, are in Australia.

Bali police yesterday revised the gross weight of the drugs down from an initial estimate of 11.25kg to 8.65kg. The nine Australians were yesterday officially declared suspects by Indonesian police, the first stage of prosecution under Indonesian law.

The alleged ringleader, Andrew Chan, 21, from Sydney, and four others who were caught with the heroin strapped to their bodies, are likely to face death by firing squad if convicted.

The remaining four suspects, who were arrested in a hotel in Kuta, Bali's main tourist area, are expected to face lesser 10-year prison sentences if found guilty.

Police found 350g of heroin in their room, but none of the suspects has admitted ownership of the suitcase the drug was found in. They are likely to be charged with heroin possession.

The arrests of the nine were the culmination of a two-month surveillance operation carried out by undercover Australian police, who then tipped off their Indonesian counterparts.

First step in prosecution

The Nine Australians were yesterday officially declared suspects by Indonesian police.

The declaration is the first stage of the criminal prosecution of alleged offenders under Indonesian law.

Bali anti-narcotics squad head Colonel Bambang Sugiarto said the nine were being held in custody under a drug law that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

But five of them - the four allegedly caught with heroin strapped on their bodies at Denpasar airport and alleged ringleader Andrew Chan - might be eventually prosecuted under a law that carries the death sentence.

- additional reporting AAP