An Australian man has successfully reduced his term in an Indonesian jail for a drug trafficking conviction after he was sentenced to 12 years behind bars.
Lamar Aaron Ahchee, 43, was sentenced on December 18 after Denpasar District Court found him guilty of receiving two packages filled with 54 individually-wrapped Lindt chocolates – each containing 8.3g of cocaine.
His 12-year original prison term, along with a substantial fine, was much harsher than the nine-year sentence that was sought by the prosecution.
John McLeod, a former police officer who now specialises in helping Australians negotiate with authorities, on Thursday confirmed Ahchee’s appeal was successful.
‘Lamar Aaron Ahchee’s sentence has been now reduce from 12 years to only nine years,’ Mr McLeod said.
The decision was made by a panel of judges at the Bali High Court on Wednesday.
‘We accept the appeal from the prosecutor and defendant Lamar Aaron Ahchee and change the sentence made by Denpasar District Court on December 18, 2025,’ the verdict read.
Ahchee’s lawyer, Edward Pangkahila, earlier this month confirmed the appeal was lodged on December 23.
Lamar Aaron Ahchee (pictured) was sentenced to 12 years behind bars after helping smuggle drugs into Indonesia
Denpasar District Court found Ahchee guilty of receiving two packages filled with 54 individually-wrapped Lindt chocolates containing cocaine (pictured)
The move came with significant risk as it could have resulted in Ahchee receiving a longer prison sentence or the death penalty.
Mr Pangkahila said his client was seeking a ‘fairer sentence’ and highlighted Ahchee’s claims that he didn’t know the package he received contained drugs.
‘My client did not know the things he collected from the gojek driver was drugs,’ Mr Pangkahila said, instead blaming the drug smuggling operation on a British man Ahchee knew only as ‘Boss’.
During the trial, presiding judge Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima said there were several factors in determining the sentence.
‘The defendant’s acts do not support the government’s program to eradicate narcotics,’ he said.
‘Cocaine is classified as a dangerous narcotic and is highly destructive due to its very strong addictive properties and its ability to affect the brain’s nervous system.
‘The quantity of cocaine received was quite large and could harm many people as well as damage the quality and security of Bali’s tourism.
‘The defendant was evasive and attempted to obscure the facts by pretending not to know the contents of the package he received.’
Ahchee (pictured) successfully appealed his sentence and had his prison term reduced to nine years
However, the judge noted that Ahchee was ‘polite during the trial’ and had expressed remorse for his actions in collecting the suspicious package.
He had also never previously been convicted, the judge observed.
While Ahchee’s prison term was reduced, he will still be required to pay a hefty fine of two billion Indonesian Rupiah, equivalent to around $169,000 AUD.
If he is unable to pay the fine, he faces an additional six months behind bars.
‘The defendant’s act do not support the government’s program to eradicate narcotics,’ he said.
‘Cocaine is classified as a dangerous narcotic and is highly destructive due to its very strong addictive properties and its ability to affect the brain’s nervous system.
‘The quantity of cocaine received was quite large and could harm many people as well as damage the quality and security of Bali’s tourism.
However, the judge noted that Ahchee was ‘polite during the trial’ and had expressed remorse for his actions in collecting the suspicious package.
He had also never previously been convicted, the judge observed.
