TRAVEL SMART: Twenty-seven Taiwanese have been sentenced to death in Indonesia on drug-related charges, some of whom say they did not know what they were carrying
Taipei Times
Date: Nov 15, 2018
By: Lu Yi-hsuan / Staff reporter
Representatives of the nation’s overseas emergency assistance associations
Representatives of overseas emergency assistance associations pose for a photograph at the Overseas Community Affairs Council in Taipei yesterday.
Photo courtesy of the Overseas Community Affairs Council
yesterday urged Taiwanese to refrain from helping others carry packages of unknown content to Southeast Asia to avoid becoming an “unknowing courier.”
Despite some Southeast Asian countries being known for their strict laws against drugs, there have been many cases in which Indonesian customs officials have caught Taiwanese carrying illegal drugs, said Chiang Ching-cheng (江慶誠), an executive member of an overseas emergency assistance association for Taiwanese in Jakarta.
“We are here to remind our people and overseas expatriates… Do not help a stranger or even your friend carry a package [to these countries]. You could end up in jail for [carrying drugs as little as] 5g,” Chiang told a news conference in Taipei.
Statistics show that 27 Taiwanese have been sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug charges. [FULL STORY]
