Two British nationals, identified by their initials KG (29) and PE (48), have been arrested in Bali for allegedly smuggling over 1.3 kilograms of cocaine into Indonesia. Local authorities believe the men are part of an international drug trafficking syndicate.
The arrests were announced during a press conference in Denpasar, where both men appeared in orange prison uniforms. According to Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat, head of the Bali National Narcotics Agency, the cocaine was brought from Barcelona. KG and PE, who reportedly live in Thailand, met in Spain a week prior to the operation.
“PE arrived in Bali ahead of the shipment and was waiting for its arrival,” Sudrajat stated. Customs officials at Ngurah Rai International Airport became suspicious of KG during a routine check. An X-ray scan of his luggage revealed 1.3 kilograms of cocaine.
Authorities say KG confessed that he was delivering the drugs to PE. Investigators allege the pair were each offered $5,000 (around £3,700) to traffic the drugs and sell them to foreign tourists in Bali.
Indonesia enforces some of the harshest drug laws globally. Convictions for smuggling or possession can lead to life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
In July, three other British citizens were sentenced to one year in prison for drug offenses in Bali after more severe charges, which carried the death penalty, were dropped. In a separate case, Lindsay Sandiford, a British woman, has been on death row since 2012 after she was caught with nearly 5kg of cocaine in her luggage.
The latest arrests underscore the severe consequences of drug trafficking in Indonesia, especially for foreign nationals.
