Lisa Marie Smith: It's up to Thailand to chase fugitive Australian

[webfact]

Lisa Marie Smith: It's up to Thailand to chase fugitive Australian

Nick Miller

Europe Correspondent

DUBLIN: -- Irish police are hoping that Thailand is too distracted by its internal woes to bother with a fugitive Australian alleged drug smuggler who has popped up 18 years later as a Dublin cafe proprietor.

Lisa Marie Smith, now 38 years old, fled Thailand in 1996 at age 21 while on bail and facing a possible death sentence, after being allegedly caught with 4 kilograms of hashish and more than 500 amphetamine tablets.

She was sighted in Athens later that same year, and it was assumed she had taken a false identity and was hiding somewhere in Europe.

However last week the Irish Sun newspaper reported that she was the co-owner of Hippetys Cafe, a small, brightly-painted cafe in the cobblestoned streets of trendy Temple Bar in the Irish capital.

On Friday a reporter from that newspaper confronted "Lisa Smith", who was working behind the counter of the cafe. The Sun reported that Smith refused to talk about her past, instead said she had somewhere to go and jumped into a car.

Company records retrieved by Fairfax Media show that Ms Smith has been company secretary of Hippetys Limited, which owns the cafe, since it was incorporated in December 2010.

Full story: http://www.theage.com.au/world/lisa-marie-smith-its-up-to-thailand-to-chase-fugitive-australian-20140709-zt0t4.html

-- The Age 2014-07-09

[lostsoul49]

This could be a bit ropey for her, but I guess she has come close to beating the statute of limitations seeing as she wasn't yet sentenced. I could be wrong but I believe it is 20 years for drug smuggling, so she has 2 years to avoid extradition.

However, to me, heroin is a big no no, and 4kg is no joke and she deserves to be punished for her crimes.

[Ulysses G.]

It says hashish which, IMO, is a victimless crime. The amphetamine tablets are a more serious matter. .

Edited July 9, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[Chicog]

Might not even be an issue.

Ireland does not have an extradition treaty with Thailand.

[Pikeybkk]

Might not even be an issue.

Ireland does not have an extradition treaty with Thailand.

Thank god there is no treaty. still trying to get me back for robbin a caravan, i told them it was mine but u know the garda and us

[Basil B]

Surprised she is not running a cafe in Holland...

Suppose the garda will be checking her immigration status and having a sniff round the joint,

[submaniac]

if you have to use the phrase "it's up to Thailand to [do something]" then you are already screwed.

[englishoak]

Might not even be an issue.

Ireland does not have an extradition treaty with Thailand.

~What heroine lostsoul49 ? amphetamine isnt heroine.

See Rose uproar for likely outcome.... shes not got anything to worry about as long as she never sets foot again in either Thailand or a country that has an extradition treaty.

Sounds like shes moved on with her life and learnt her close shave lesson..

stay put girl and get on with your life, your on safe ground in Dublin

Edited July 9, 2014 by englishoak

[shirtless]

She has paid big money for bail, why bother now.

[timewilltell]

20 years statute of limitation for drug smugglers - 10 years for Thai politicians and hi-SOS [sick] [sic] who rob the country or kill people. Something not right in this picture?

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[Time Traveller]

Thai authorities are too busy hunting easy prey like visa overstayers, than picking up a drug smuggler that made them all look like jackasses.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Time Traveller

[lostmebike]

Might not even be an issue.

Ireland does not have an extradition treaty with Thailand.

~What heroine lostsoul49 ? amphetamine isnt heroine.

See Rose uproar for likely outcome.... shes not got anything to worry about as long as she never sets foot again in either Thailand or a country that has an extradition treaty.

Sounds like shes moved on with her life and learnt her close shave lesson..

stay put girl and get on with your life, your on safe ground in Dublin

You are right englishoak, no HEROIN in the report.

[Baerboxer]

Might not even be an issue.

Ireland does not have an extradition treaty with Thailand.

~What heroine lostsoul49 ? amphetamine isnt heroine.

See Rose uproar for likely outcome.... shes not got anything to worry about as long as she never sets foot again in either Thailand or a country that has an extradition treaty.

Sounds like shes moved on with her life and learnt her close shave lesson..

stay put girl and get on with your life, your on safe ground in Dublin

You are right englishoak, no HEROIN in the report.

Yes, you can't really say a female drug smuggler is a heroine

More seriously, won't the Irish authorities question on what basis she is residing in Eire? Does she have Irish citizenship as well as Aussie? Are all her documents legal and in order? If not she could be deported to Aussie. Does Aussie have an extradition treaty with Thailand? They certainly have AFP officers here.

How did the media find her? Hardly the most prominent case and after all these years? Looks like not everyone likes her.

[Nemesis7]

Somebody must have tipped of the media, other wise it's hard to id some after a decade long....

[transam]

Business set up with dope money..?

[Basil B]

Yes, you can't really say a female drug smuggler is a heroine

More seriously, won't the Irish authorities question on what basis she is residing in Eire? Does she have Irish citizenship as well as Aussie? Are all her documents legal and in order? If not she could be deported to Aussie. Does Aussie have an extradition treaty with Thailand? They certainly have AFP officers here.

How did the media find her? Hardly the most prominent case and after all these years? Looks like not everyone likes her.

Yes, the Irish must be questioning her immigration status, even if she has Irish Citizenship, did she miss some of her past history of the application.

Extradition V Deportation http://www.bagshawsforcrime.co.uk/extradition-and-deportation

So subject to an extradition request which probably will not be forthcoming, she could be declared an undesirable by the Irish who would deport her, I assume if she leaves voluntarily she could go to any country that would accept her else if she was forcibly deported it would be back to Aussie Land.

Both Australia and the UK have extradition treaties with the Thailand, I do hope if she enters the UK she is arrested for impersonating a Brit.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/drug-smuggler-lisa-marie-smith-not-on-irish-polices-wanted-list/story-fni0fee2-1226982173461?nk=2d17faee45b676de98e164e423e19e07

Edit in: sorry photo shows at thumbnail size, but if you enlarge it it clearly states "Nationality BRITISH"

Edited July 10, 2014 by Basil B

[Chicog]

Somebody must have tipped of the media, other wise it's hard to id some after a decade long....

It's right there if you read the article to the end.

Another co-director of Hippety’s is Stephen Maguire, reportedly Smith’s partner.

In March, Maguire was in the local media after a gang of 25 youths attacked him outside the cafe. The attention resulting from the attack drew attention to the cafe and its owner’s secret past.

[harrry]

You are right englishoak, no HEROIN in the report.

Yes, you can't really say a female drug smuggler is a heroine

More seriously, won't the Irish authorities question on what basis she is residing in Eire? Does she have Irish citizenship as well as Aussie? Are all her documents legal and in order? If not she could be deported to Aussie. Does Aussie have an extradition treaty with Thailand? They certainly have AFP officers here.

How did the media find her? Hardly the most prominent case and after all these years? Looks like not everyone likes her.

Of course knowing the AFP they would make sure her deportation flight stopped in Bangkok.....oooops you have a warant for her...OK I guess we have to let you have her.