BALINEWSID.COM, BADUNG – Two Indian nationals identified by their initials as AR, 28, and PC, 31, have been detained after allegedly carrying more than 10 kilograms of cannabis through I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali.

The two were apprehended by a joint team of customs and police officers at the international arrivals terminal on Monday (Aug. 3, 2026), at around 11:30 a.m. local time.

Authorities seized approximately 100 packages of suspected cannabis concealed inside two suitcases. The packages had reportedly been placed in cardboard boxes and mixed with other belongings in an apparent attempt to make them look like ordinary goods or souvenirs.

The total seizure weighed 10,310 grams gross, or 10,110 grams net.

The suitcase belonging to AR contained 62 packages weighing 6,399 grams gross, or 6,275 grams net. Meanwhile, PC’s suitcase contained 38 packages weighing 3,911 grams gross, or 3,835 grams net.

The case was uncovered after the two passengers arrived aboard Scoot flight TR280, traveling from Koh Samui via Singapore to Denpasar, at around 10:30 a.m.

At approximately 11:25 a.m., Ngurah Rai Customs officers conducted an X-ray analysis of passengers’ luggage. The scan raised suspicions regarding the two passengers, prompting officers to carry out a more detailed inspection.

Eight boxes labeled K1 through K8 were found inside AR’s suitcase, containing 62 packages of dried greenish-brown plant material.

A subsequent inspection of PC’s suitcase uncovered six boxes labeled K9 through K14 containing another 38 packages of similar material.

Laboratory tests conducted by the Ngurah Rai Customs Laboratory confirmed that the material tested positive for Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a controlled substance found in cannabis, classified as a Category I narcotic under Indonesian law.

Head of the Ngurah Rai Customs and Excise Office, Wawan Dharmawan, said the seized drugs had an estimated value of approximately Rp1.5 billion.

“This enforcement action has prevented approximately 2,076 people from being exposed to the harmful effects of narcotics use. The estimated state losses prevented amount to around Rp3.3 billion,” Wawan said.

During preliminary questioning, the two Indian nationals reportedly told investigators that they had obtained the drugs from someone in Thailand.

Police also said the pair allegedly received US$150 each, or around Rp2.6 million, for transporting the drugs.

Ngurah Rai Airport Police Chief AKBP I Made Hendra Agustina said investigators suspected that the two were acting as couriers.

Although the pair initially claimed they had come to Bali together as family members for a three-day holiday, authorities said they were still in transit and were continuing to investigate their actual purpose in Bali.

“Bali was only a transit point. This is important for us in developing the case because their status was transit, not tourism,” Hendra said.

Investigators are now working to determine who was supposed to receive the drugs in Bali and whether the two suspects were connected to a larger narcotics trafficking network.

Authorities have also conducted a controlled delivery operation as part of efforts to trace the suspected recipients and uncover the network behind the shipment.

Hendra said investigators were also examining the source of the narcotics and the route used to transport them from Thailand to Indonesia.

The two Indian nationals are facing charges under Indonesia’s Narcotics Law, including Article 111(2) of Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, along with other applicable provisions.

The charges carry severe penalties, including a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years, life imprisonment, or the death penalty, depending on the provisions ultimately applied and established in court.

The suspects remain in custody as investigators continue developing the case and tracing the alleged source, recipients and wider network involved in the shipment.