THE woman arrested in Bali on suspicion of smuggling cocaine is the mother of a robber who raided more than 20 stores in the borough.

Lindsay Sandiford, 55, originally from Redcar, was arrested on May 19 for allegedly smuggling cocaine worth £1.6 million on to the tropical island.

Her 23-year-old son Lewis was jailed in 2009 for his part in a string of robberies, the majority of which took place in Ruislip.

Lewis Sandiford was jailed for six years after admitting his part in the crimes carried out by a gang.

In his trial the court heard the gang acted in a pack with several entering premises late at night when only one member of staff would be working in the stores.

On several occasions the shopkeepers were assaulted as money was taken from their tills, and their own personal jewellery stolen, often worth thousands of pounds itself, while others stood guard.

While the gang made attempts to conceal their identities, they were captured by CCTV on several occasions, and often used the transport network to flee the crimes.

Miss Sandiford could face the death penalty if she is found guilty under Indonesian Law.