Whangārei man arrested in Bali with nearly 5000 prescription pills gets consular help

John McLeod, a former Australian policeman (centre), has taken on the case of Kiwi Tom Daly (left), who's been arrested in Bali over the thousands of prescription pills he carried.

A Whangārei man has consular assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade after he was arrested in Bali for attempting to bring in nearly 5000 tablets of prescription medications.

Thomas Michael Daly, 38, a furniture removal worker, had flown in from Sydney.

Daly, who has the intellect of a 10-year-old, was stopped at Indonesian Customs when security spotted a huge number of tablets during routine luggage x-rays last Friday, Daily Telegraph Australia reported.

When the Northern Advocate contacted members of Daly's family yesterday they declined to make any comment on his arrest.

New Zealand police said they would not be involved in local arrests in Bali. They said any New Zealander arrested couldseek consular assistance though the New Zealand Embassy or Consulate.

Indonesian police said they later found 4950 prescription pills separated into individual zip-locked bags. They have said the almost 3kg prescription-drug haul is the biggest seizure in the island's history.

Australia security consultant John McLeod, who took on Daly's case pro bono, said the Kiwi suffers from schizophrenia and has the intellectual ability of a 10-year-old child.

"He has no comprehension of the trouble he is in," McLeod said.

He also has diabetes and has suffered kidney failure.

As required under Indonesian law, Daly had a doctor's certificate for the year's supply of 14 different medicines in his possession, that he needs to treat his conditions.

Despite that, he is still being held under the direction of police who are concerned over the massive volume of what are considered controlled substances, with illegal possession carrying a maximum penalty of 12 years behind bars.

The Kiwi planned a nine-month trip in Bali, Thailand and Vietnam and planned to buy a campervan for travelling, despite only having NZ$3000.

After undergoing health checks at the Bali police hospital on Sunday, Daly appeared to faint. He was also worried, confused and suffering withdrawals from not being able to access some medications, McLeod told Australia's Nine News.

McLeod and local lawyer Edward Firdaus Pangkahila said they were in the process of presenting extra documentation to police in an effort to free Daly from Bali and return him to New Zealand.

"Polda [police] has been fantastic and sympathetic to our cause. We're trying all that we can to have him released as soon as possible," McLeod told Daily Telegraph Australia.

He questioned why New Zealand pharmacists would dispense such a high quantity of medications given the countries Daly was planning to visit.

"I have read the letters that show that he is aware that he has to fill and carry his prescriptions with him through four different countries. In either of the countries, this would have landed him in a cell. For a pharmacist to fill those scripts really makes you have to question their actions. Tom is a statistic of the system," McLeod said.