Several foreign nationals—including an Australian, an Indian, and an American—have been arrested on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali on suspicion of drug possession, charges that carry the possibility of the death penalty.
This crackdown follows the recent charging of three British nationals in a Bali court for allegedly smuggling nearly a kilogram of cocaine into Indonesia.
On May 29, customs officers at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport detained an Indian national identified only as HV while inspecting luggage. Authorities found narcotics-related items in his duffel bag.
Later that same day, Bali’s National Narcotics Agency arrested an Australian man, identified as PR, who has been visiting Bali since 1988. PR allegedly instructed HV to bring the duffel bag from Los Angeles to Bali, according to I Made Sinar Subawa, a narcotics official.
A search of PR’s residence uncovered hashish—a cannabis concentrate—purchased via the Telegram messaging app and shipped from Los Angeles and the Philippines. Authorities seized 191 grams of hashish, 488 grams of marijuana, and candies containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Both men are now suspected of narcotics trafficking. PR faces charges under Indonesia’s narcotics laws, which could lead to the death penalty, life imprisonment, or a minimum of four years and up to 12 years in prison.
On May 23, authorities also arrested WM, an American, while collecting a package at a post office in Bali. The package contained 99 orange amphetamine pills and a white Apple iPhone, which were seized by officers.
Authorities presented the seized drugs and evidence during a news conference in Denpasar. All suspects will face Indonesia’s legal process, including trial and sentencing.
Indonesia is known as a major drug-smuggling hub despite some of the world’s strictest drug laws. The country often targets international drug syndicates preying on its young population.
Convicted drug smugglers in Indonesia risk harsh penalties, including execution by firing squad. Currently, about 530 people are on death row, including 96 foreigners, mostly for drug offenses. The last executions were carried out in July 2016.
