Several foreign nationals, including an Australian, an Indian and an American, have been arrested on the tourist island of Bali on suspicion of possessing drugs. The charges could carry the death penalty.
The move comes after charges were brought in a Bali court on Tuesday against three British nationals suspected of smuggling almost a kilogram of cocaine into Indonesia.
On May 29, customs officers at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali detained an Indian man with the initials HV, who was carrying a travel bag in the customs control area.
Drug-related items were found in his belongings, authorities said.
Following questioning of HV, later that day Bali's National Drug Enforcement Agency arrested an Australian with the initials PR, who has been visiting Bali since 1988.
According to drug enforcement agency spokesman Sinar Subawa, PR asked HV to deliver a travel bag from Los Angeles to Bali at a press conference.
During a search of his place of residence, police found drugs in the form of hashish – a concentrated cannabis product belonging to PR, which was purchased through the Telegram messenger.
The hashish was shipped from Los Angeles and the Philippines before eventually arriving in Bali, Mr Subawa said. Police seized 191 grams of hashish and some candies containing tetrahydrocannabinol, as well as 488 grams of marijuana.
Mr Subawa noted that both PR and HV are now suspected of drug trafficking based on the evidence found.
“PR is suspected of violating Indonesia's Drug Law, which carries the death penalty, life imprisonment or prison terms of four to 12 years,” Mr Subawa said.
In addition to HV and PR, the agency also detained American WM on May 23 while he was picking up a package from a post office in Bali.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
