Indonesia deports Australian whose drug saga riveted nation

Corby was escorted by officials to a Virgin flight to Brisbane on Saturday.

Corby, 39, who maintained her innocence throughout, claiming that someone else had put the drugs in her luggage against her will, was considered the most well-known Australian citizen to be serving jail time overseas for drug trafficking.

Back on Australian soil, she managed to evade the waiting media throng and slip out of the airport unseen.

"In the spirit of humility and in the spirit of dignity, we ask all parties to show respect for the family's privacy during this time", the statement read.

"To all those in Australia and to all of those in Bali, who were there throughout the hard journey, your support has not gone unnoticed". "The priority of our focus will now be on healing and moving forward".

Corby has always maintained her innocence, saying she was unaware she was carrying more than 4 kg (8.8 lb) of marijuana in a boogie board bag when she arrived in Bali in late 2004.

Corbys case and that of the so-called Bali Nine, who were arrested in 2005 on charges of smuggling heroin from Indonesia into Australia had enormous resonance as a domestic political issue in Australia.

Corby's insistence that the drugs were planted by baggage handlers was dismissed as lies by Balinese prosecutors.

Former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono granted Corby's clemency plea in 2012, reducing her sentence by five years because of good behavior. In the lead-up to her deportation, she kept a low profile, living in a villa in Bali with her Indonesian boyfriend.

A vehicle with family friends later arrived, with a man donning Halloween masks to greet them and later let them out of the home. Today, few Australians still believe Corby's story but remain fascinated by the saga.

"Yay. So happy, she's finally home in Australia", Jen told media.