A 14-year-old Australian boy arrested in Bali for alleged drug possession was bragging to shopkeepers about how he had bought marijuana, showing them the bag of drugs just hours before police pounced, witnesses claim.
The owner and staff of Komang Beauty Salon and Spa, where the NSW boy had a massage before his arrest, said he showed them the cannabis and was seen earlier bragging to nearby shopkeepers, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Last Tuesday, the boy and his friend went to the massage parlour for treatments after allegedly purchasing 3.6g of marijuana from a man at Kuta.
"When he took off his clothes and was getting ready for the massage, he also emptied his pocket pants. He took out a lighter and a small plastic bag," said his masseuse, who asked not to be named.
"He showed me the plastic bag and said, 'Do you know what that is?' I said, 'No' then [he] put his finger in front of his lips and said 'Ssshhh, don't tell anyone'."
Salon owner Komang Ani said the boy was seen waving the bag of drugs around outside before he came inside for a massage.
Ms Ani also admitted she saw intelligence officers outside the parlour but didn't know they were waiting for the boys.
"I would have told them not to be so stupid," she said.
The boy has told police he was coerced into buying drugs from a dealer who approached him, his lawyer says.
The teenager has now been interviewed a second time after his legal team complained police had broken Indonesian rules for dealing with child suspects by not allowing the boy's parents to be present during his initial interrogation on Tuesday night.
It is understood that it was during the course of his initial interrogation that the boy allegedly told police about buying the equivalent of about $25 worth of marijuana from a dealer on Kuta Beach.
The teenager, who was on holidays with his parents and staying in the luxury resort area of Legian, had been due to fly home to Australia on Sunday after a week-long holiday in Bali.
He now remains in custody at Bali's police headquarters, and faces the possibility of spending up to six years in prison in Indonesia if convicted of possession.
Mr Rifan said it was still possible the boy could be released into the custody of his parents while police continued their investigation, even if charges were laid and the case went to trial.
"We still negotiate with authorities at this time," he said when asked about the possibility of the teenager being released into the custody of his parents.
The development came after Australia's ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty on Saturday made a mercy dash to Bali from Jakarta to meet with the boy and his family.
Mr Moriarty, who met with the boy and his parents for more than an hour on Saturday, said they were "under a great deal of stress".
"I have assured them that my top priority in the days ahead would be to work to support them and the boy to ensure that he can return to Australia as quickly as possible," he told reporters on the steps of the narcotics squad office at police headquarters in Bali.
"I am also very conscious that the boy and his family are under a great deal of stress, although I have no specific concerns about his health or welfare at this stage."
"He's a robust young man but he is under incredible stress."
In Australia, Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd again warned that resolving the matter would take time, adding that it would be dealt with in a very disciplined and careful way.
"I've said to Ambassador Moriarty and to our consul-general that for the mission, for our post, this is the highest priority for the period ahead and we'll be pulling out all the stops," Mr Rudd said.
"As I said this will take some time and there is no guarantee of success."
"I'll be doing everything in my power to try and get him home."
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