Chris Packer (c. 1953 – 1 September 2013)
was an Australian from
Perth
Perth is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth most populous city in Aust ...
, Western Australia who in 2004 narrowly escaped the death penalty when arrested in
Bali, Indonesia
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, a ...
for suspected
arms smuggling
Arms trafficking or gunrunning is the illicit trade of contraband small arms and ammunition, which constitutes part of a broad range of illegal activities often associated with transnational criminal organizations. The illegal trade of small arm ...
. Police arrested Packer after finding undeclared weapons aboard his 53m cargo ship, "Lissa", registered in Avatiu.
A veteran sailor, Packer has competed in several
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an annual event hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, New South Wales, on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The race distance is approximately . The race is run in ...
s and was embarking on a round the world sailing tour at the time of his arrest.
He went into a coma, having had a heart attack on 29 April 2006 but is said to have come out of it weeks later, showing signs of recovery.
References
External links
Aussie Sailor held in Bali Jail
Australian sailors
People from Perth, Western Australia
2013 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
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