DENPASAR, Bali – A Brazilian national has been sentenced to 18 years in prison by the Denpasar District Court after being found guilty of smuggling more than three kilograms of cocaine into Bali.

The verdict was delivered by a panel of judges led by Ni Made Okti Mandiani. In its ruling, the court stated that the defendant, Yuri Bezerra Da Costa (25), was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment, with time already served deducted from the total sentence.

In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of Rp1 billion (approximately USD equivalent subject to exchange rate). Failure to pay the fine will result in a substitute imprisonment of 190 days.

The judges ruled that the defendant was legally and convincingly proven guilty of violating Article 610 paragraph (2) letter a of Law No. 1 of 2026 on Criminal Code Adjustment, in accordance with the primary alternative charge filed by prosecutors.

The sentence exceeds the prosecution’s demand, which had sought 16 years in prison and a Rp2 billion fine, subsidiary to six months’ imprisonment.

Seized at Ngurah Rai International Airport

The case originated from an operation conducted by customs officers at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Badung, Bali. Authorities discovered two packages of cocaine wrapped in black plastic and covered with transparent plastic.

Laboratory examination confirmed that the first package (Code A) weighed 1,564.92 grams net, while the second package (Code B) weighed 1,524.44 grams net. The total net weight of the seized cocaine amounted to 3,089.36 grams.

The narcotics were transported by the defendant from Rio de Janeiro to Dubai on Emirates Airlines flight EK 248, before continuing onward from Dubai to Denpasar on the same airline.

Part of the evidence — 1,523.47 grams net from Code A — was destroyed on 22 August 2025 in accordance with legal procedures.

The court concluded that the defendant knowingly brought a prohibited narcotic substance into Indonesian territory without lawful authority.

The ruling underscores Indonesia’s continued strict enforcement against transnational narcotics trafficking, particularly through international air routes to Bali.