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British drug-smuggling grandma to be sent home after 12 years on death row in Bali

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ABritish drug-smuggling grandmother who has spent 12 years on death row in Indonesia will be sent home to the UK, the two countries announced on Tuesday.

Lindsay Sandiford, 68, has been imprisoned on Bali since 2012.

She was arrested at the resort island’s airport after authorities found 3.8 kilogrammes of cocaine worth €2.1 million hidden in the lining of her suitcase. During the trial, Sandiford said she was forced to carry the drugs by a gang that threatened her children.

She was sentenced to die by firing squad and Indonesia’s highest court upheld it in 2013.

Another British prisoner, who has been serving a life sentence in Indonesia since 2014, will also be returned to the UK as part of an arrangement struck between the nations.

Shahab Shahabadi, 35, was arrested in Jakarta as a result of an investigation into an international drug trafficking network.

He had previously sent 30 kilogrammes of methamphetamine powder in several shipments from Iran to his partner for distribution in Jakarta, before finally arriving in Indonesia himself, prosecutors said.

The deal to repatriate the prisoners to serve out the rest of their sentences in the UK was signed by British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper and Indonesia’s Senior Minister of Law Yusril Ihza Mahendra.

“Both of them [Sandiford and Shahabadi] are facing problems. The first one is ill and has been examined by a doctor from the British Consulate in Bali. She is seriously ill and is 68 years old,” Cooper said.

Mahendra said Indonesia had agreed to release Sandiford on humanitarian grounds. The transfer of the prisoners will take place after both nations have completed technical and administrative steps, she said.

FILE: Indonesia custom officers observe drug evidence as British citizen Lindsay Sandiford, left, covers her face in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, 28 May, 2012. Firdia Lisnawati/AP

 

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s administration has sent several foreign prisoners home under bilateral agreements with their countries. They included a woman from the Philippines who faced the death penalty over drugs charges and five Australians convicted of heroin trafficking.

The United Nations says Indonesia is a major drug smuggling hub despite its extremely strict drug laws, in part because international syndicates target its young population.

About 530 people are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, including nearly 100 foreigners, government data showed last month.

Indonesia’s last executions, of a local citizen and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016.

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Kidnappers Took Loan With My Phone – Victim Recounts Ordeal

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A woman has shared a disturbing account of her abduction in Abuja, detailing how kidnappers allegedly exploited her personal information during captivity.

According to her, she was kidnapped while going home in a bus and kept blindfolded for two days as her captors demanded a ransom of ₦5 million from her family and friends.

She further alleged that while she was still in captivity, the abductors accessed her phone and used it to download a loan application.

With her ATM card and identification documents in her possession at the time, they reportedly secured a loan of ₦148,000 without her knowledge.

The victim said she remained unaware of the transaction throughout her ordeal, as she was blindfolded and focused on pleading for her life.

She revealed that when she later found out and wrote to the loan app, they insisted she must pay off the loan.

“I was kidnapped in a bus in Abuja. They blindfolded my eyes for two days. Even after asking for ransom of 5 million from my family and friends, they took a loan. They downloaded a loan app on my phone, and I always carry my ATM card and my ID cards in my bag, so they used it to up the loan app and took a loan of 148 thousand Naira. I didn’t even know about the loan all the time I was there cause I was blindfolded and just begging for my life….” she partly said.

 

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Man Ends His Marriage After Finding Photographs Of His Wife With Another Man While Browsing Google Maps

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A husband was left shocked and reportedly had to end his marriage after discovering photos of his wife with another man while using Google Maps.

The man was using Google Maps to plan a route before setting off on a journey when he noticed an image of his wife sitting on a bench, stroking the hair of another man whose head rested in her lap.

Captured by a Google camera vehicle in Lima, the Peruvian capital, the stunned husband said the photograph grabbed his attention because the woman pictured seemed to be wearing identical clothing to pieces his wife owned.

Although the photo dated back to 2013, the furious husband challenged his wife with proof of her previous betrayal.

The pair, whose identities remain anonymous, subsequently divorced after the woman confessed to having an affair.

In a twist of fate, she was photographed with her lover on a bench near the city’s Puente de los Suspiros de Barranco (Bridge of Sighs of the Ravine).

 

The husband recently posted the photographs on Facebook where they sparked considerable reaction amongst users.

One social media commenter, San Pateste, said: “What a small world it is… It would have been enough if she said to her husband that she did not love him any more.”

Guillermo Sanchez added: “Out of 100 women, 90 per cent are not loyal, the rest are loyal and only have one eye (hahaha) or are immortal (hahaha).”

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Explosion injures soldier, NSCDC personnel in Imo

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An Improvised Explosive Device, IED, explosion injured a soldier and a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

A counter-insurgency and security expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, made this disclosure on X.

Makama disclosed that the incident occurred at about 8:35am on March 18 during a joint operation by troops of 34 Artillery Brigade in the Orsu general area.

According to the source, the personnel were operating around a suspected hideout of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, ESN, when they stepped on a concealed pressure-activated IED.

It noted that the device detonated, leaving both operatives injured.

“They were immediately administered first aid and subsequently evacuated to a medical facility for further treatment.

“Operations are ongoing in the area to dismantle criminal hideouts and enhance safety,” the source said.

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