Aussies facing jail over Papua entry

Five Australians detained in the Indonesian province of Papua could face up to seven years in jail, authorities say.

The group has been in immigration custody since September 12, after landing their small V-68 plane at Mopah Merauke airport, allegedly without proper travel documents.

The group had travelled from Horn Island, off Cape York, an hour's flight away. Papua police spokesman Agus Riyanto said the group arrived in Papua without visas, and their plane had no flight clearance or security approval documents.

Pilot William Henry Scott Bloxom could face up to five years' imprisonment if
convicted of flying a foreign plane into Indonesia without the required permits,
Riyanto told the Indonesian news agency Antara.
The other four - Vera Scott Bloxom, Hubert Hofer, Karen Burke and Keith Rowland
Mortimer - could face up to seven years' imprisonment if found guilty of breaching
immigration laws, Antara said.
The group's plane, passports and other evidence would be seized as part of the
ongoing investigation, Riyanto told Antara.
But Indonesia's national police spokesman Abubakar Nataprawira said it was too early
to speculate on the likely charges.
"Until now, the case is still under the immigration (department's) authority,"
Nataprawira said.
"It has not been handed over to the police.
"There is a plan to hand it over to the police, but until now it has not (been
transferred)."