Foreign Nationals Arrested for Cocaine Smuggling in Bali

Denpasar, Indonesia (AP) – Indonesian officials announced on Thursday the arrest of two foreign nationals allegedly smuggling cocaine into Bali, a well-known tourist destination.

The arrests, made on July 13, involved a Brazilian man and a South African woman. Authorities detected suspicious items in the Brazilian man's luggage and in the South African woman's underwear during X-ray scans at Bali's international airport.

Indonesia enforces extremely stringent drug laws, where convicted smugglers can face execution by firing squad.

The 25-year-old Brazilian suspect, identified by his initials YB, was found with 3,086.36 grams of cocaine concealed within the lining of his suitcase and backpack upon his arrival from Dubai, according to Made Sinar Subawa, head of the Eradication Division at Bali’s Narcotic Agency.

That same day, customs officials apprehended a 32-year-old South African woman, identified as LN, with 990.83 grams of cocaine hidden in her underwear.

During questioning, YB claimed he was offered 400 million rupiah (approximately USD 2,450) to deliver the cocaine, which he received in Brasilia, to an individual he referred to as Tio Paulo. LN was reportedly promised 25 million rupiah (about USD 1,500) to transfer the drugs to a person known as Cindy, stated Subawa.

Subawa further noted that a police operation failed to capture the individuals identified by the suspects, believed to be low-level distributors.

The authorities presented the detained individuals during a news conference in Denpasar, Bali’s capital. The suspects wore orange prison uniforms and masks and had their hands cuffed, alongside the seized cocaine.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime highlights Indonesia's status as a significant drug-smuggling hub. Despite having some of the world's strictest drug laws, international drug syndicates target Indonesia's youthful population.

Moreover, the Denpasar District Court is scheduled later on Thursday to deliver verdicts for two other groups of foreigners accused of drug smuggling. An Argentine woman and a British man face charges of bringing cocaine to the island, while a separate case pertains to drug offenses involving three British nationals, including a woman, with their sentences to be delivered separately.

Indonesia's Ministry of Immigration and Corrections reports that around 530 individuals are on death row in the country, mostly for drug-related offenses, including 96 foreign nationals. The last executions, involving one Indonesian and three foreigners, took place in July 2016.

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