Eyewitness News – BADUNG
October 15, 2026
The Ngurah Rai Customs Office, in synergy with the Bali Nusra Regional Customs Office, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) Headquarters, and the Bali Provincial BNN, successfully thwarted an attempt to smuggle Class I narcotics in the form of cocaine at the International Arrivals Terminal of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport. During the operation, officers secured two foreign nationals (WNA) from Chile along with evidence consisting of cocaine with a total gross weight of 4,594.5 grams, or approximately 4.59 kilograms.
The operation was carried out on Saturday (Oct 3) at around 16:00 WITA. The disclosure stemmed from the analysis of X-ray images of passenger luggage, which showed suspicious indicators. Based on this analysis, officers conducted a deeper inspection of two backpacks belonging to passengers who arrived in Bali via Jetstar flight JQ43 from Melbourne, Australia, bound for Denpasar, after previously traveling from Santiago, Chile, via LATAM Airlines flight LA805.
​Upon inspection, officers discovered four black plastic packages containing white powder suspected to be Class I narcotics, specifically cocaine. The evidence was hidden in the back wall of the backpacks using a false compartment modus operandi.
In the backpack belonging to a female passenger with the initials J, two packages with a total gross weight of 2,284.5 grams were found. Meanwhile, in the backpack belonging to a male passenger with the initials B, two packages with a total gross weight of 2,310 grams were found. Both passengers claimed they came to Bali for a vacation.
​The Head of the Bali Nusra Regional Customs Office, Sunaryo, stated that this disclosure was the result of officers’ vigilance in monitoring passenger baggage through X-ray image analysis. “This enforcement demonstrates the importance of thoroughness by officers in identifying smuggling indications, including through the modus operandi of hidden compartments inside bags,” Sunaryo said.
On the same day, the Ngurah Rai Customs Office handed over the case handling to BNNP Bali under the coordination of BNN Headquarters for further development through the formation of a joint team.
​During the case development process, the joint team successfully secured two individuals suspected of acting as drivers around the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport international arrival area, as well as an Indonesian citizen suspected of acting as the package recipient at a hotel in the Kuta area, Bali.
​Based on the preliminary investigation, the package recipient allegedly acted under the orders of a mastermind. To date, the joint team is still searching and attempting to capture the said mastermind. The case development is also ongoing to uncover the involved narcotics distribution network.
​This enforcement is estimated to have successfully prevented drug trafficking that has the potential to impact 22,973 lives, with potential state financial savings reaching IDR 36.7 billion.
​The Head of the Bali Nusra Regional Customs Office, Sunaryo, stated that this disclosure is part of the implementation of customs supervisory functions and joint efforts to prevent the entry of narcotics via international air routes.
The suspects, BF and JE from Chile, received the narcotics from an individual with the initial A in Santiago, who controlled the smuggling of these narcotics all the way to Denpasar, Bali. This included the arrest of the drivers and the recipient of the package, an individual with the initial AU, at a hotel with the initial C in the Kuta area. Evidence from social media chats proved they were directed by someone with the initial “Mbah,” who sent a link to A in Santiago, Chile.
​They illegally imported narcotics into the territory of Bali via flight and under the guise of tourist visas.
​Furthermore, BNNP Bali explained that the market price for cocaine ranges from IDR 4 to 5 million per gram. The total 4.6 kg is valued at over IDR 15 billion, and it is estimated to have saved more than 35 million young Indonesian citizens from the circulation of this cocaine-type narcotic within the jurisdiction of Bali Nusra.
​The four suspects face potential sentences ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment.
The Ngurah Rai Customs Office and the Bali Nusra Regional Customs Office emphasized their commitment to continuously increasing vigilance and strengthening coordination with law enforcement agencies and related institutions. Cross-institutional synergy is expected to support the dismantling of narcotics distribution networks while protecting the public from the threat of narcotics abuse and illicit trafficking.
Reporter : Daniel Herry
