A Brazilian man and a South African woman have been charged in Indonesia for allegedly trying to smuggle 4kg of drugs into Bali, the anti-narcotics agency said on Thursday.
The pair were travelling separately when they were arrested on 13 July at the resort island’s international airport and could face the death penalty if found guilty.
Deliver a package
The Brazilian was allegedly carrying two plastic bags containing just over three kilograms of cocaine in his backpack and luggage, I Made Sinar Subawa, from the local anti-narcotics agency, told a news conference.
Made said the suspect was a courier and had been told to deliver the package to a man living in Bali.
The South African woman was arrested after arriving from Singapore on the same day with nearly one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine allegedly hidden in her clothing.
“Based on the interrogation, she confessed that she was ordered to carry the meth from Johannesburg to Bali, to be delivered to someone in Bali,” Made said.
Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers.
There are dozens of traffickers on death row in the country, including a cocaine-smuggling British grandmother.
Indonesia last carried out executions in 2016, killing one Indonesian and three Nigerian drug convicts by firing squad.
Do you have any sympathy for drug mules?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website’s newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
