The Bali National Narcotics Agency (BNN) announced the arrests on Tuesday, describing the suspects as members of an international drug trafficking syndicate.
Identified by their initials KG (29) and PE (48), the men allegedly transported the cocaine from Barcelona, Spain. According to BNN Chief Brig. Gen. Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat, both had been residing in Thailand prior to meeting in Barcelona.
“PE traveled to Bali first and waited for the shipment,” Sudrajat said at a press conference in Denpasar.
The case surfaced on September 3, when customs officers at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport became suspicious of KG’s behavior.
An X-ray scan of his luggage revealed 1,321 grams of cocaine concealed inside.
Following his arrest, KG allegedly confessed that he was delivering the drugs to PE at a villa in Kerobokan, North Kuta, Badung.
Investigators believe the pair were promised US$5,000 each to smuggle the cocaine into Bali and sell it to foreign nationals.
“There are many foreign communities in Bali, and they are the target market because the price of cocaine is very expensive,” said Sen. Comm. Tri Kuncoro of the Bali BNN.
Kuncoro added that both suspects admitted they had been instructed by a man named Santos to collect the drugs in Barcelona one week before their arrest.
The two now face charges under Indonesia’s strict narcotics laws, including Article 113(2), Article 112(2), and Article 132(1) of Law No. 35/2009. If convicted, they could face the death penalty, life imprisonment, or a prison term ranging from 5 to 20 years.
Related news: South Lampung police seize 11.8 kg of meth, arrest two couriers
Related news: Bali records 697,000 foreign tourist arrivals in July, highest in 2025
Translator: Rolandus Nampu, Anton Santoso
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
