Freed British drug mule gran faces being locked up in UK despite Bali nightmare

Freed British Drug Mule Gran Faces Imprisonment in UK

The Foreign Office has not revealed Sandiford's fate upon her arrival in the UK tomorrow. However, an Indonesian official stated: “In England, she will remain in prison.”

Release from Bali's Kerobokan Jail

Lindsay Sandiford, aged 69, will arrive on British soil after more than ten years on death row. She was pictured in a wheelchair, experiencing freedom for the first time in 13 years after leaving the notorious Bali prison. Wearing a mask and shielding her face from photographers, she was swiftly taken to Denpasar International Airport.

Journey and Diplomatic Background

Sandiford boarded a Qatar Airways flight this afternoon. The £600 plane ticket, funded by the UK government, was arranged following a bilateral agreement between Keir Starmer and Indonesian authorities securing her release. She is reported to be in very poor health for the 20-hour flight back to the UK.

Legal and Health Status

This marks the conclusion of a distressing period in Sandiford's life. She, a legal secretary, was sentenced to death for smuggling £1.6 million worth of cocaine into Indonesia. The UK Foreign Office remains silent on whether she will be free or detained upon arrival.

Official Statement from Indonesia

“In England, she will remain in prison.” — I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram, Indonesia's Deputy Minister for Immigration and Correctional Coordination

Sandiford left Kerobokan prison shortly after 2 pm GMT.

Summary: Lindsay Sandiford, freed after 13 years on death row in Bali, returns to the UK facing likely imprisonment amid poor health and uncertain legal status.

more

The Mirror The Mirror — 2025-11-06

More News