A teenager who was caught smuggling drugs into popular tourist island Bali could be executed by a firing squad.
Manuela Vitoria de Araujo Farias had passed through airports in Brazil and Qatar before she was caught with three kilogrammes of cocaine in her luggage at Bali International Airport in Indonesia.
The 19-year-old Brazilian national has been in custody for the past three months and was charged with international drug trafficking. If she is found guilty, prosecutors have demanded she receive the maximum penalty possible.
As reported in the Mirror, under Indonesia's tough anti-drug laws, she could face execution by firing squad or life imprisonment if she is convicted of trafficking.
The court heard from prosecutors who claimed Farias was clearly working with the drug gang but her lawyer claims the young woman was tricked by people she trusted.
It was said the 19-year-old, who sold lingerie and perfume for a living, had been living between Santa Catarina in Brazil, where her mother lives, and Para where her father lives.
Davi Lira da Silva, Farias' lawyer, claims a gang tricked her into cooperating as they told her there were temples on the island where they pray for the sick.
Lawyers say Farias' was going to seek Buddhist prayers for a cure as her mother had recently suffered a stroke.
They also claim the keen suffer was promised professional lessons which the gang would pay for when she arrived in the country.
Farias' family have now launched a crowdfunding campaign to try and pay for an expert in international law to get involved in the case.
The case was adjourned and will resume later this month. Investigations are reportedly ongoing into the people Farias claims handed her the drugs.
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