Thai drug smugglers dodge death penalty in Bali

DENPASAR, Indonesia: Two Thai women convicted of smuggling methamphetamine into Bali have escaped a possible death sentence on the Indonesian holiday island after a court sentenced them to 16 years in jail.

The district court in Bali’s capital Denpasar said Kasarin Khamkhao and Sanicha Maneetes -- a janitor and an operator of a motorcycle rental shop in Thailand -- had shown remorse for their crimes and deserved leniency.

The verdict on Wednesday comes four months after the pair were arrested by suspicious airport officials who found nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine hidden under their clothes after arriving on a flight from Bangkok.

Muslim-majority Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers. At the time of their October arrest, police said the Thai women could face a firing squad if found guilty.

Prosecutors, who had demanded a 19-year jail term, said on Wednesday they may appeal against the lighter-than-requested sentences. The two Thais must also pay 1.0 billion rupiah ($72,000) each in fines or have three more months tacked on to their sentence, the court said.