Indonesian authorities intercept drug shipments bound for Bali, arrest foreign nationals
Bali newsBali6 min read
Indonesian customs officials at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, seized 18,585 grams of marijuana and hashish in two separate smuggling cases between March and June 2026. Both shipments were reportedly destined for Bali. The first case, on March 26, involved 10,785 grams of marijuana from the United States, declared as luggage. The second case, on June 3, led to the arrest of Russian citizen KK, 52, who arrived from Bangkok with 7,800 grams of hashish concealed in a suitcase. This hashish was also intended for Bali, for a foreign national residing there. Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Customs Office, Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang, stated that both drug shipments were intended for foreign nationals in Bali and authorities are investigating potential connections between the cases. Following the hashish seizure, the National Narcotics Agency BNN Interdiction Director Tery Zakiar Muslim reported the arrest of another Russian citizen in Bangli, Bali, on June 5, seizing approximately 7.8 kilograms of narcotics. A third Russian citizen was later arrested in Denpasar, suspected of coordinating the network, and a Russian national believed to be overseas is on a wanted list. Suspects face charges under Indonesia’s 2009 Narcotics Law, which carries penalties up to life imprisonment or death.
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