AUSSIE ILLEGAL ENTRANTS LIABLE TO 5-7-YEAR JAIL SENTENCES

Jayapura, Papua, Sept. 25 (ANTARA) - Five Australians detained in Merauke, Papua, for entering Indonesia in an airplane illegally , are liable to jail sentences of between five and seven years, police here said.

Senior Commissioner Agus Riyanto, Papua Police spokesman, said here on Thursday that based on facts established in interrogations, the Australian nationals could be put into two categories.

William Hendry Scott Bloxom, the pilot, could get a jail sentence of five years, in line with Law No. 15/1992 articles 58 and 13 (1) on transportation because he flew a foreign plane to Indonesia without the required permits.

Meanwhile, the four other Australians, namely Vera Scott Bloxom, Hubert Hofer, Karen Burke and Keit Rowald Mortimer might be jailed for seven years in line with Law No.9/1992 articles 53, 6 (1) and 9 on immigration.

The Indonesian authorities would also seize their plane, passports and other evidence, he said.

The Australians landed in Merauke on September 12, 2008, from Horn Island off Cape York, which is an hour's flight away, by a small V-68 plane.

They arrived in Papua without visa and their plane had no flight clearance nor security approval documents.