Russian drug suspects arrested in Bali after high-speed car chase
Indonesia has some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers, but has maintained a moratorium on executions for several years.
The sun rises behind boats moored at a pier near Denpasar on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Apr 12, 2026. (File photo: AFP/Sonny Tumbelaka)
INDONESIA: Indonesian authorities arrested two Russian nationals suspected of smuggling drugs into Bali after a high-speed car chase on the popular resort island, an official said on Sunday (Jun 7).
The woman, 52, and the 40-year-old man were arrested after trying to smuggle close to 8kg of hashish in a suitcase from Thailand, the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) said in a statement.
"We have seized the evidence, 7.8kg of hashish," BNN chief Suyudi Ario Seto said.
The woman, identified by her initials "KK", arrived in Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport before driving to Bali in a rental vehicle to meet the man at a seaport on Friday.
The agency said the man, identified by his initials "SK", picked up the woman and dropped her, along with the case, at an unidentified location before attempting to flee.
Officials pursued the man and said he had been driving recklessly and hit several pedestrians before being stopped by authorities.
Both were taken into custody on Friday, the agency said without providing further details.
An investigation to determine whether the pair are part of a larger syndicate is underway, BNN said.
Indonesia has some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws, including the death penalty for traffickers, but has maintained a moratorium on executions for several years.
There are dozens of traffickers on death row. Indonesia last carried out the death sentence in 2016, when one Indonesian and three Nigerians convicted of drug offences were executed by firing squad.
Two British men were sentenced in March to nine and 11 years in prison respectively after they were found guilty of smuggling cocaine into Bali.
