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Bali authorities find drugs in raid on Kiwi's cell

Tony de Malmanche, on drug charges in Bali, with lawyer Craig Tuck.
Antony de Malmanche. Photo: ODT files

The lawyer of convicted Kiwi drug smuggler Antony de Malmanche is struggling to make contact with him after a stash of drugs was found in his Bali prison cell.

Indonesian police and drug agencies found sharp objects, cellphones, marijuana and P when they raided the 54-year-old's cell in Kerobokan Prison.

The former Whanganui man is serving a 15-year sentence after being caught with 1.7kg of methamphetamine in his backpack when he arrived in the country in 2014.

He claims he was set up by a woman he had fallen in love with online.

During a prison-wide raid authorities allegedly found three packages of marijuana in the Kiwi's cell. Urine tests had also returned positive for the drug.

His lawyer Craig Tuck confirmed his client was at the centre of fresh drug allegations but said he had had no contact because prison authorities had confiscated his phone.

De Malmanche is into the second year of his sentence after he was found guilty of drug trafficking in June 2015.

During his trial prosecutors wanted 18 years' jail for de Malmanche, arguing his passport, plane ticket and a Customs declaration form in the same bag as the drugs were enough to prove ownership.

His defence claimed he was a victim of trafficking, rather than a trafficker, and called experts to testify about his mental illness, low IQ and vulnerability to brainwashing by online scammers.

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