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The Independent UK

Jonathan Bunn

British drug smuggling arrests soar in Asia as young travellers face death penalty

Asia Death Penalty the Foreign Office

British nationals Kial Garth Robinson (L) and Piran Ezra Wilkinson (R) walk to a court room during their trial in Denpasar on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. - (AFP/Getty)

The number of British nationals detained overseas on drug trafficking charges has surged more than fourfold over three years, official figures show, alongside a Government warning that penalties include life imprisonment and the death sentence.

Consular incidents involving suspected "drug mules" grew from 80 in 2023 to above 340 in 2025, with at least 160 recorded so far this year.

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