Bali Nine Member Hit with Fresh Charges Shortly After Release

After spending nearly two decades in an Indonesian prison, Matthew Norman’s return to Australia has been marred by an unexpected legal development.

Following his release from prison in Indonesia, Norman, a member of the infamous Bali Nine, was charged with a historical offense less than a month after returning to Australia.

Norman, 38, was taken into custody at Waverley police station on Jan. 13 and charged with being a passenger in a stolen vehicle.

Authorities claim that in March 2005, Norman knowingly rode in a stolen white Ford Laser hatchback just one month before his arrest in Bali for drug trafficking.

Reports indicate that Norman drove for less than an hour before being apprehended by the police.

Norman supposedly appeared in court over the car theft in 2005 but left the country while on bail. That same year, he tried to smuggle 334 grams of heroin into Bali in a suitcase, leading to his arrest and subsequent imprisonment.

He has been granted bail and is set to appear in Waverley Local Court on Feb. 25.

Saga Comes Full Circle

Norman was the youngest member of the Bali Nine, a group convicted of attempting to smuggle heroin from Indonesia to Australia in 2005.

At the time of his arrest in Bali, Norman was just 18 years old. Alongside fellow members like Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, and Michael Czugaj, Norman spent nearly 20 years in Bali’s Kerobokan Prison.

They were involved in one of the most publicized drug trafficking cases in Australian-Indonesian relations.

The Bali Nine saga reached its most sorrowful point in 2015 when leaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed by a firing squad, causing strain on diplomatic relations.

Some members, such as Renae Lawrence, were released earlier, while Tan Duc Than Nguyen passed away from cancer in 2018.

The remaining five men were released in December 2024 as part of a deal brokered after President Prabowo Subianto assumed office in Indonesia.

While Indonesian officials characterized the arrangement as reciprocal, Australian ministers refuted any suggestion of an exchange and emphasized the humanitarian nature of the deal.

Return to Australia and Rehabilitation

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the return of Norman and the other Bali Nine members last month, viewing it as a chance for personal rehabilitation.

Albanese, along with Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, expressed gratitude for Indonesia’s understanding and respect for Australia’s laws and processes in this matter.

Although the five men are permanently barred from entering Indonesia, their return marks the end of a prolonged and painful chapter for them and their families, who have endured nearly two decades of separation and stigma.

The government acknowledged the severity of their crimes while committing to ongoing collaboration with Indonesia to combat drug trafficking.

AAP contributed to this article