An Australian woman has escaped the death penalty after being found not guilty of drug trafficking charges in Malaysia.
Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto is escorted from the High Court after being cleared of drug trafficking charges in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur. Photo: AFP PHOTO / Mohd RASFAN
Maria Exposto, from Sydney, was caught with 1.1 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in 2014.
Her lawyers said she was the victim of an online romance scam, and had been tricked into carrying the drugs.
The 54-year-old said she talked online to a man claiming to be "Captain Daniel Smith" from the US Special Forces for two years, on a daily basis.
She said he asked her to bring the bag to Australia.
The mother of four was en route to Melbourne from Shanghai when the drugs were discovered.
They were stitched into the compartment of a backpack, which Ms Exposto said she believed only contained clothing.
The prosecution is asking for her to be deported immediately and so far there has been no talk of an appeal against her acquittal.
Malaysian MPs have voted to end the nation's mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking, but the changes have not yet been enacted.
- ABC
