Four face death penalty in Bali over drugs

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AFP) — Four people arrested recently on drug charges on the Indonesian resort island of Bali face the death penalty, its anti-drugs chief said Tuesday.

Officers arrested two Thai nationals at the island’s international airport on 3 September for possession of methamphetamine, ecstasy and crystal MDMA, Bali narcotics agency head Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat told reporters.

“The drugs would be handed over to two Indonesians who ordered it,” he said.

One of the Indonesian nationals was arrested at the same airport on 8 September while a courier, whose nationality was not given, was also arrested.

All four face the death penalty if found guilty, Sudrajat said.

Police also arrested two Europeans in July, a Latvian man and a Swedish man.

The Latvian man — suspected of belonging to a crime syndicate in his country — faces up to 20 years in prison after being caught with 450 grams of hashish and 977 grams of marijuana.

The Swedish suspect faces up to 15 years in prison after being found with 201 grams of hashish at his villa.