ABC News director arrives in Singapore to meet Peter Lloyd

Melbourne, July 21 : ABC news director John Cameron has arrived in Singapore to meet its South Asia correspondent, Peter Lloyd, who was arrested for trafficking drugs.

Lloyd, 41, has been kept under remand in Singapore's Changi Prison after being charged with trafficking about one gram of methamphetamine and possessing 0.8 gram of the drug ice.

A spokeswoman for the ABC confirmed that Cameron was in Singapore, but couldn't say for sure whether he had met Lloyd or when he was likely to meet him.

As quoted in The Australian, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said, "Legal proceedings against the ABC's South Asia correspondent could take some time."

If convicted, Lloyd faces up to 20 years' imprisonment and between five to 15 lashes with a cane.

Lloyd's family is reportedly trying to raise 45,000 dollars to secure his release from Changi.

Police from Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau had arrested Lloyd on July 16, after a tip-off.

Peter Lloyd, who is based in New Delhi, covers the South Asian nations of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.rom 2002 to mid 2006 he was based in Bangkok reporting on South East Asian affairs in Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and the Philippines. is compelling reports on the Bali bombings and later the Tsunami disaster earned several Walkely Award nominations.

Lloyd, a working journalist since 1985, has reported for Australian audiences from the UK, Europe, Africa and the United States.

He joined the ABC in 1988, working in the Sydney television newsroom for three years before moving to Britain to work for the BBC and British Sky News.

On his return, Peter spent a decade in commercial television news and current affairs in various roles including, reporter, presenter, program executive producer and North America Correspondent.

In 2000, Peter returned to the ABC, taking up a senior reporting role with television news and later with the national radio current affairs programs AM, The World Today and PM.

ANI