SYDNEY, Dec 15 (AFP): The five remaining members of the Australian "Bali Nine" drug ring flew home Sunday after 19 years in jail in Indonesia, ending a saga that had frayed relations between the two countries.
Indonesian police arrested the nine Australians in 2005, convicting them of attempting to smuggle more than eight kilograms (18 pounds) of heroin off the holiday island of Bali.
The case drew global attention to Indonesia's unforgiving drug laws, with two of the gang executed by firing squad, while the others served hefty prison sentences.
"The Australian Government can confirm that Australian citizens, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj have returned to Australia," Canberra said in a statement.
"The men will have the opportunity to continue their personal rehabilitation and reintegration in Australia." Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the men returned in the afternoon, and he had thanked Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto for his "compassion".
"Australia shares Indonesia's concern about the serious problem illicit drugs represents," Albanese said. "The government will continue to cooperate with Indonesia to counter narcotics trafficking and transnational crime," he told reporters.
"These Australians spent more than 19 years in prison in Indonesia. It was time for them to come home." The Australian government did not give further details on the agreement with Jakarta.
An Indonesian minister told AFP the five men had left the country as prisoners but "all the responsibilities for them" had now passed to Australia. The men were accompanied on their flight home by three officials from the Australian embassy, another Indonesian official said.
They were flown from Bali to the northern Australian city of Darwin, landing around 2:42 pm (0512 GMT), Indonesia's coordinating law, human rights, immigration and corrections ministry said.
Negotiations over the repatriation of the men reportedly picked up after Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met Albanese on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Peru last month.
The Australian government said it had consistently advocated for them and provided consular support to them and their families during their incarceration. It asked the media to respect their privacy.
