Australian journalist faces drug charges in Singapore
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - An Australian journalist was arrested in Singapore on drug-related charges, the Australian government said on Friday, and faces up to 20 years in jail and 15 strokes of the cane if convicted.
Peter Lloyd, a senior journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Cooperation, was detained on Wednesday after Singapore's drug police had received a tipoff.
Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau said in a statement that Lloyd had allegedly supplied a Singaporean man with drugs and was caught with 0.8 grams (0.028 ounces) of methamphetamine, one smoking pipe and six syringes.
It said Lloyd's urine had tested positive for amphetamine.
"We can confirm the arrest of ABC journalist Peter Lloyd in Singapore on drug-related charges on 16 July," said a spokesman for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
"The Australian High Commission in Singapore has visited Mr. Lloyd and is providing consular assistance to him."
Lloyd will be charged in a Singapore court on Friday, a court official said.
A statement from the director of ABC News said that Lloyd was on leave in Singapore from his posting in New Delhi and that the organization has not been told the full details of the case.
Singapore drug laws are among the world's toughest and anyone caught carrying more than 15 grams of heroin, 30 grams of cocaine, 500 grams of cannabis or 250 grams of methamphetamines faces a mandatory death sentence by hanging.
In 2005, Australian drug smuggler Tuong Van Nguyen, 25, was hanged in Singapore after he was convicted of smuggling 400 grams of heroin from Cambodia through Singapore's Changi airport in 2002.
(Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Jan Dahinten)
