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Officials in Bali to hold talks over boy arrested

The Australian ambassador to Indonesia has arrived in Bali to hold talks with Indonesian officials over a 14-year-old Australian boy, allegedly caught with $25 worth of marijuana.

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Source: AAP


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A 14-year-old Australian boy allegedly caught with a small amount of marijuana while on holiday with his parents in Bali has spent a fourth night in custody.

The teenager, from Morisset Park, south of Newcastle, is also now at the centre of sensitive diplomatic discussions between Australian and Indonesian officials.

Australia's Ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty has now arrived in Bali to head up efforts to secure the boy's release.

He will meet with the teenager and his parents on Saturday morning at the Bali police headquarters in Denpasar where the boy has been since his arrest on Tuesday.

It's expected Mr Moriarty will also meet with Indonesian officials after Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said on Friday that getting the boy home is a top priority.

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But Mr Rudd has also cautioned that there's no guarantee of a positive outcome.

"We must all be patient and work within Indonesian legal processes," Mr Rudd said.

"We have no guarantee of any outcome here. We are going to work very carefully through Indonesian processes."

The comments came after an Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman in Jakarta on Friday warned that anyone caught in Indonesia with illegal drugs could expect to face severe penalties.

The boy's lawyer, Mohammad Rifan, has said, however, that he remains optimistic about the case.

Mr Rifan said it's also possible the boy could be released into his parents' custody as early as next week while authorities decide whether or not to charge him.

"It is still possible, but we must agree on some conditions first," he said.

As he is a juvenile, police have 20 days before they must lay charges. Under exceptional circumstances, they can apply for an additional 10 days to complete their investigation.

The teenager, who was on holidays with his parents and staying in the luxury resort area of Legian, was with a friend when he was arrested allegedly with 3.6 grams of marijuana.

If convicted of possession, he would face a maximum term of six years, which he would likely serve in Bali's notorious Kerobokan Prison alongside murderers, sex offenders and people on death row.


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