British National Arrested in Bali Over 1.4 Kilograms of Cocaine

Denpasar: Denpasar Police in Bali on Wednesday confirmed the seizure of 1.4 kilograms of cocaine from a British national identified as BJ, aged 53, earlier this month.

Police Chief Senior Commissioner Leonardo David Simatupang confirmed the arrest was made at a hotel in Kuta, Badung District, on Saturday 14 February 2026.

“He is a British national, born and has long resided in Hong Kong. He stated that he arrived in Bali in December for tourism," Simatupang said during a press conference, quoted from Antara, Thursday, 26 February 2026.

During the arrest, police officers found four cocaine packages packed in cardboard boxes and placed in a suitcase. The value of the drug, which weighed exactly 1,419.79 grams, is estimated at Rp5-6 billion (USD298-358 thousand).
 
The suspect admitted during follow-up questioning to receiving the package from an individual who promised him a payment of Rp1 billion (approximately USD59,000).

“He admitted obtaining the item from an individual at a villa, and said he had no specific target for its distribution, as the package was to be collected by another person,” Simatupang noted.

“While we are continuing the investigation, our preliminary assessment is that the case involves an international network,” the police chief added.

The suspect was charged under Articles 114(2) and 118(2) of Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, which provide for penalties including the death sentence.

Indonesia enforces some of the world's toughest drug laws, with major traffickers facing life imprisonment or the death penalty. Despite these strict penalties, the country remains a lucrative market for drug syndicates, driven by its large population.

The nation's drug trade is valued at an estimated 66 trillion rupiah (USD4.3 billion), according to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN). A BNN survey estimates that 3.4 million Indonesians use drugs, which is roughly 180 out of every 10,000 people aged 15 to 64.