DENPASAR – Indonesian authorities have arrested two British nationals on suspicion of smuggling 1.3 kilograms of cocaine into Bali. The men, identified as KG (29) and PE (48), are accused of being part of an international drug trafficking syndicate and now face Indonesia’s toughest narcotics charges.

The Bali National Narcotics Agency (BNN) announced the arrests on Tuesday, saying the suspects had transported the cocaine from Barcelona, Spain.

BNN Chief Brig. Gen. Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat said both suspects had been living in Thailand before meeting in Barcelona. “PE traveled to Bali first and waited for the shipment,” he told reporters in Denpasar.

The case emerged on September 3 when customs officers at Ngurah Rai International Airport became suspicious of KG’s behavior. An X-ray scan revealed 1,321 grams of cocaine hidden in his luggage.

After his arrest, KG allegedly confessed 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 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.

According to investigators, both men admitted they had been instructed by a man named Santos to collect the drugs in Barcelona a week before their arrest.

The two now face charges under Articles 113(2), 112(2), and 132(1) of Indonesia’s Narcotics Law No. 35/2009. If convicted, they could face the death penalty, life imprisonment, or a prison term of 5 to 20 years.