Inp.polri.go.id - Denpasar. The Indonesian government officially handed over two British drug convicts, Lindsay June Sandiford and Shahab Shahabadi, to the United Kingdom on Thursday night (6/11/2025), marking a rare humanitarian transfer from Kerobokan Prison in Bali.

“This process reflects Indonesia’s commitment to fair law enforcement while upholding humanitarian values,” said I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram, the Deputy for Immigration and Corrections at the Coordinating Ministry for Law and Human Rights, during the handover ceremony, as reported by antaranews.com

The two prisoners, escorted under tight security, departed Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport at midnight en route to London via Doha. 

British Deputy Ambassador Matthew Downing thanked President Prabowo Subianto’s government for facilitating the transfer, citing mutual respect for sovereignty and compassion.

Sandiford, 68, was sentenced to death in 2013 for smuggling 4.7 kilograms of cocaine, while Shahab, 35, received a life sentence for trafficking methamphetamine. Both were repatriated due to severe health issues.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)