Drug smugglers bodies returned to Cilacap

A ferry carrying the bodies of the eight men executed by Indonesia early on Wednesday has returned to Cilacap.

Cilacap

Ambulances carrying the bodies of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran have just left the Cilacap port (Alyshia Gates)

A ferry carrying ambulances with the bodies of the eight men executed by Indonesia overnight, including Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, has arrived at Cilacap port.

The two Australians and six others were shot dead at 12.25am (0325 AEST) on the island of Nusakambangan on Wednesday.

The others executed were Indonesian Zainal Abidin, Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte, Nigerians Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise, Raheem Agbaje Salami and Okwudili Oyatanze, and Ghanaian Martin Anderson.

Mary Jane Veloso a former domestic worker from the Philippines was given a last minute stay of execution.

The bodies of Chan and Sukumaran will be repatriated to Australia.

Two coffins with wooden crosses came off the ferry first followed by a car with Australian consular staff.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said at a media conference in Canberra just before 8am (AEST) the Australian government had not received official confirmation of the executions.

"Our consular officials will arrange for the bodies to be repatriated to Australia and to ensure that they are treated with appropriate dignity," she said.

The consul general Majel Hind will formally identify the bodies.

Ms Hind, Chan and Sukumaran's lawyer Julian McMahon, and their spiritual guides Christie Buckingham and David Soper left the port shortly after the convoy of ambulances and police.

The Australian convoy will drive 10 hours back to Jakarta before the men's bodies are repatriated to Sydney.


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Source: AAP


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