Aussie Man apos;caught With Meth In Bali apos; Boasts About New apos;wonder Drug apos;
An Australian man arrested in Bali for alleged possession of methamphetamine also had a large haul of a locally grown stimulant which he's touted as a wonder drug.
But Travis James McLeod faces no charges in relation to the substance, known as kratom, which police allege was found at his Kerobokan villa, because while the substance is now illegal in [/news/indonesia/index.html Indonesia] the laws are not yet enforced.
The 43-year-old Fremantle man was on Wednesday paraded by Denpasar police in an orange jumpsuit along with the drugs.
He had little to say about the 0.86 gram of methamphetamine which police allege he possessed but he had plenty to say about kratom, derived from a Southeast Asian tree and which can have similar effects to opioids.
Perth man Travis James McLeod, 43, (centre) faces 12 years behind bars for allegedly having meth inside his Bali villa
'Kratom should be made legal everywhere and not be vilified in such a manner,' McLeod told reporters.
'Kratom is the answer to all drug problems and all ailments,' he claimed, adding that governments in Australia and particularly the US need 'to have a good hard look' at themselves.
McLeod suggested it was the lobby of poppy farmers who ensured it was illegal.
Kratom has been illegal and declared a Type One narcotic in Indonesia since 2017 but a five-year transition period means the laws cannot be used to charge anyone until 2022.
Many farmers in Kalimantan earn a living from the sale of kratom and the grace period allows them time to transition to other livelihoods.
McLeod was one of eight drug suspects paraded at a police press conference on Wednesday.
He potentially faces drug possession laws which carry a 12-year maximum term in relation to the methamphetamine.
The Fremantle man went on a strange rant about the powers of a 'wonder drug' named krakom.
The stimulant is illegal but he can't be charged for having it until laws come into effect in 2022
Police have alleged that two local men, who are also facing charges, had collected methamphetamine to bring to McLeod on November 5.
Denpasar police chief, Jansen Avitus Panjaitan, said McLeod was alleged to have established a home industry selling kratom and that many of his customers were in Australia or were foreigners living in Bali.
Jansen said that among the items allegedly seized were envelopes of kratom addressed to Australian addresses and kynghidongduong.vn equipment to process kratom into pills and liquid.
McLeod, who police say has been living in tour bali giá rẻ for more than two years, has previously posted on social media about 'hunting wild kratom' in the jungles of Borneo.
