DENPASAR, Indonesia — Indonesian law enforcement officials have taken into custody an Argentinian woman and a British man on allegations of cocaine smuggling on the well-known tourist destination of Bali. The country is recognized for its stringent drug laws, with convicted traffickers facing severe penalties, including the death penalty.
Authorities were alerted through an intelligence report, prompting agents from the National Narcotics Agency to intercept 324 grams (approximately 0.7 pounds) of cocaine from the female suspect. This occurred shortly after her arrival at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport on a flight from Dubai, as reported by Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat, the head of Bali’s narcotics agency.
The woman, referred to only by her initials, disclosed during her interrogation that she was offered $3,000 to deliver the cocaine, which she allegedly procured in Mexico, to the British male suspect. This led to his swift arrest at a guest house located in the Kerobokan area within Badung district on the same day. Officials surmise he is a minor operative within a broader distribution framework.
Sudrajat revealed that the network is known to target the swell of international visitors frequenting the island’s bustling hubs. He stated, “Our ongoing investigation aims to dismantle the international cocaine network in Bali and halt its operations.”
Despite Indonesia’s rigorous anti-drug regulations, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime identifies the nation as a significant hub for drug smuggling activities. This is partly attributed to organized drug syndicates eyeing the country’s youthful population. Recent data from the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections indicates that about 530 individuals are currently on death row, largely due to drug offenses, which include 96 foreign nationals. The last executions in Indonesia were carried out in July 2016, involving both domestic and international culprits.