Indonesia deports Frenchman who spent 18 years in jail for smuggling drugs into Bali
The original life sentence handed out by an Indonesian court, which rejected Blanc’s claim that he was carrying the drug-filled gear for a friend, was criticised in France as overly harsh
A Frenchman who served 18 years in custody for smuggling drugs into Bali was deported on Saturday in a case that sparked outrage in his native country over Indonesia’s tough narcotics laws.
Police arrested Michael Blanc on the day after Christmas in 1999 at the tropical island’s airport with 3.8kg of hashish hidden inside scuba diving canisters.
The now 45-year-old was originally given a life term – narrowly escaping the death sentence handed to some other foreign drug traffickers, including two members of the notorious Bali Nine who were executed in 2015.
Blanc’s prison term was later cut to 20 years and then in 2014 he won something that few foreigners get in Indonesia – parole.
The former cook arrived at the airport in Jakarta escorted by Indonesian immigration officials, and accompanied by his mother, Helene Le Touzey, who gave up her life in France to spend nearly two decades in Indonesia campaigning for his release.
The two departed on a Turkish Airlines flight at 9pm. They are expected in France on Sunday.