DENPASAR, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities have arrested two foreign nationals for allegedly smuggling cocaine to the resort island of Bali, officials announced Thursday.
The suspects—a 25-year-old Brazilian man, identified as YB, and a 32-year-old South African woman, identified as LN—were arrested separately on July 13 after customs officials at Ngurah Rai International Airport detected suspicious items during routine X-ray screenings.
YB was found to be carrying 3,086.36 grams (6.8 pounds) of cocaine concealed in the lining of his suitcase and backpack, according to Made Sinar Subawa, head of the Eradication Division at Bali’s Narcotic Agency. He had flown into Bali from Dubai.
Later that same day, customs officers discovered 990.83 grams (2.1 pounds) of cocaine hidden in LN’s underwear.
During police interrogation, YB admitted that he was promised 400 million rupiah (around $2,450 USD) to deliver the cocaine to someone he identified as “Tio Paulo”. LN said she expected 25 million rupiah (about $1,500 USD) for delivering the drugs to a person named “Cindy”.
Authorities believe the named individuals are low-level distributors, but a police sting operation failed to capture them.
At a press conference in Denpasar, both suspects were presented in orange prison uniforms, handcuffed, and masked, alongside the confiscated narcotics.
Indonesia is known for having some of the toughest drug laws in the world, with convicted traffickers potentially facing life imprisonment or execution by firing squad.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has previously noted that Indonesia remains a major target for international drug syndicates, particularly due to its youthful population.
Meanwhile, the Denpasar District Court was also expected to issue verdicts Thursday in other cocaine trafficking cases involving a British man, an Argentine woman, and three British nationals, including a woman.
