DENPASAR, INDONESIA — An Australian teenager walked free from jail in Bali on Thursday after tests on a white powder found in his possession showed up negative for illegal drugs.
Perth teen Jamie Murphy, 18, was arrested at the Sky Garden nightclub in Kuta, Bali in the early hours of Tuesday when security guards found the white powder in his bag during a random search.
However, lab tests revealed the white powder didn’t contain any illegal drugs, the Guardian reported.
According to Bali police, Jamie admitted to getting the powder from someone outside the club, who told him it would make him feel good, the Guardian reported.
Jamie was held for 45 hours while police forensics tested the powder and analysed his blood and urine for drug use.
Under Indonesia’s strict anti-drugs laws, Jamie could have been jailed for up to 12 years and fined $600,000.
But the lab results confirmed the white powder was in fact a mixture of painkillers, caffeine, cold, flu, and cough medicine. In short, Jamie was ripped off by whomever sold him the powder.
A somewhat disappointed-sounding Bali police chief told reporters this was the first time the police station had a negative drug result after making such a discovery.
The police chief said Jamie was very lucky, adding that he didn’t want to say if the kid was stupid or not.
