Why the Bali Nine risked everything to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia - but ended up wrecking their lives instead
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The Bali Nine dreamed of enough riches to buy flash new cars, pay their university fees and still have cash left over when they were lured into a risky drug smuggling plot. Instead they wrecked their lives by being banged up in Indonesian jails for almost two decades, while two of them were executed by firing squad.
![[Martin Stephens maintains he was threatened into smuggling the drugs]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/02/92815225-14159811-Martin_Stephens_maintains_he_was_threatened_into_smuggling_the_d-a-43_1734400895743.jpg)
The stakes proved even higher than the street value of the heroin the young Australians were trafficking after they were tempted to risk their lives for a tiny fraction of the profits. The group - who were mostly teenagers at the time - had hoped their role in the drug smuggling operation would potentially set them up for life, or at least give them a kickstart.
![[Michael Czugaj (left) and Martin Stephens (right) were supported by their mothers]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/17/02/92815219-14159811-Michael_Czugaj_left_and_Martin_Stephens_right_were_supported_by_-a-42_1734400895742.jpg)
The remaining five members, who are back in Australia after being released by the Indonesian government, have since all expressed regret for their crimes. Matthew Norman, 38, was just 18 years old when a mate asked if he wanted to traffic drugs in exchange $15,000 and he immediately agreed.
![[Si Yi Chen was going to prove a point to his strict father when he got his payday]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/11/00/92815107-14159811-Si_Yi_Chen_was_going_to_prove_a_point_to_his_strict_father_when_-a-3_1733877297362.jpg)
Norman came from a good family and left school at 16 after having mostly stayed out of trouble - until then. He hoped to use his cut to buy a flash new car - but later admitted his decision was 'reckless, careless' and had been triggered by 'wanting to cut corners in life'.
![[Pictured Top L-R: Myuran Sukumaran, Scott Rush, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Renae Lawrence, and Bottom: Si Yi Chen, Matthew Norman, Michael Czugaj, Martin Stephen and Andrew Chan]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/11/00/92394565-14159811-Pictured_Top_L_R_Myuran_Sukumaran_Scott_Rush_Tan_Duc_Thanh_Nguye-a-4_1733877297694.jpg)
Matthew Norman says looking back, he realises his actions were very reckless. Martin Stephens maintains he was threatened into smuggling the drugs. Michael Czugaj (left) and Martin Stephens (right) were supported by their mothers. 'I was thinking more about the money that was involved in it, which in retrospect wasn't that much actually,' he said.
