AUSTRALIAN PAIR ON THAI DRUG CHARGES

Two Australians, a 50-year-old man from Victoria and a 29-year-old
woman from West Australia, were remanded in custody yesterday after
appearing in a Bangkok court on heroin charges.

They both appeared in court in handcuffs.

Heroin convictions in Thailand can result in life prison terms or the
death penalty.

Police allege that Robert Halliwell and Holly Amanda Deane-Johns were
apprehended near Bangkok's central post office on August 21 trying to
post 15 grams of heroin. More heroin, alleged to total 110 grams, was
later allegedly found in Mr Halliwell's apartment.

Police claim the heroin was purchased in northern Thailand.

The family of Ms Deane-Johns has claimed that Thai police tried to
extort the equivalent of $A17,500 after the arrests in order to have
charges dropped.

Thai police have denied this but ordered an internal investigation,
including checks on phone records to determine whether an officer
called the Deane-Johns family.

Both Mr Halliwell and Ms Deane-Johns were yesterday remanded in
custody for 12 days and are being held at the Police Narcotics
Suppression Division cells in Bangkok.

No plea was entered and they did not have legal representation for the
preliminary hearing.

They are being given Australian consular assistance.