Indonesian authorities have arrested two Russian nationals for allegedly smuggling narcotics into Bali following a dramatic high-speed car chase at the popular tourist destination.
A 52-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man were arrested on Friday for allegedly trying to smuggle 7.8kg of hashish in a suitcase from Thailand, said Indonesia's national narcotics agency on Sunday.
"We secured evidence in the form of hashish weighing 7.8kg gross weight, along with passports, mobile phones, and one four-wheeled vehicle,” said narcotics agency chief Komjen Pol Suyudi Ario Seto.
The agency said they were alerted about a suitcase suspected of containing narcotics by the customs officials at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport after the woman, identified by her initials "KK", arrived from Thailand.
The investigators alleged that upon arrival, the woman travelled toward East Java before crossing into Bali via Gilimanuk Port, where she reached around 3am local time.
A man identified as “SK” picked up the woman along with the suitcase and later dropped her off at an unidentified location before attempting to flee.
Investigators said that the arrest operation escalated when SK attempted to evade the officials by driving at a high speed. The man struck several local residents on the road before being eventually stopped by the police.
Both Russian nationals were taken into custody on Friday, the narcotics department said, adding that they initiated a probe to determine whether the suspects were part of a larger crime syndicate.
The narcotics department said the arrests of the two foreign nationals mark only the initial stage of efforts to dismantle a broader syndicate.
"This case is still under investigation. If other suspects or additional evidence are found, we will report further developments," said Brigadier General Putu Putera Sadana, a spokesperson for the narcotics department.
Drug trafficking is a serious offence in Indonesia, with the death penalty being the most severe punishment applied to those found guilty. Bali uses the firing squad for its capital punishment offences, but has not implemented the penalty since 2016, when four men were executed for drug trafficking.
In February, two British men were sentenced to nine and 11 years in prison after they were found guilty of smuggling cocaine into Bali.
