AAP
Perth teenager Jamie Murphy could spend up to 12 years in a Balinese prison after being arrested on suspicion of drug possession in a Kuta nightclub.
The 18 year old, who had travelled to Bali with friends, was allegedly caught with a small bag of white powder early Tuesday morning in the Skygarden nightclub.
Security officers found the substance inside his bumbag, which also contained a bank card and his hotel key.
Police reportedly suspect the powder, which is still being tested, is cocaine.
“I don’t do this … I only drink… it’s not mine,” said the distraught 18-year-old in video footage of the arrest.
Murphy’s friend, Ty Airey, has claimed that the alleged crime was a “set up”. Citing the video footage, Airey posted on Facebook: “You can clearly see the cocaine in the security’s hand BEFORE he even opened up the bag.”
Police have two more days to hold Murphy before naming him as an official suspect. If he is named as a suspect, he will likely face trial.
Murphy, who finished high school last year, is a talented soccer player who has trialled for the A-League’s Perth Glory.
The ABC reports that Murphy’s parents Brendan and Anna Murphy have left Perth for Bali, telling reporters “we love our son.”
Foreign Affairs minister Julie Bishop has been in contact with Murphy and has once more warned Australians of Indonesian’s strict drug laws.
“If you are travelling overseas you have to remember that, once you leave Australia, you leave the Australian legal system, you leave the support system here and you are subject to the laws of another country,” said Bishop. “So it is a warning to all those who are going overseas on schoolies week, and to their parents and friends, that we are subject to the laws of another country when we visit those countries.”
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