TWO Brits could face the death penalty in Bali after allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine for an international drugs cartel.
Kial Robinson, 29, and Piran Ezra Wilkinson, 48, both from Chichester, West Sussex, were allegedly caught with 1.3kg of the hard drug on the holiday isle.
ViralPressKial Robinson, 29, and Piran Ezra Wilkinson, 48, could be facing the death penalty after being arrested in Bali[/caption]
ViralPressThe pair were paraded before the media today[/caption]
ViralPressThey were allegedly caught with 1.3kg of cocaine[/caption]
The pair, currently being held by Bali’s Narcotic Agency, appeared in front of media with other drug suspects today, wearing orange jumpsuits as local officials discussed their case.
Robinson, a landscape gardener, was detained at Ngurah Rai International Airport on September 3 when X-ray scans found the illegal haul in his backpack.
It’s understood he boarded a Turkish Airlines flight from Barcelona to Bali and told police he was paid almost £3,600 to deliver the illicit goods to a contact on the Indonesian island.
Police launched a sting operation and arrested his contact, property manager and fellow Brit, Wilkinson, at a villa in Mengwi, Badung district, in the early hours of September 4.
Convicted drug traffickers found with large quantities of drugs, have in the past been executed under Indonesia’s strict drug laws – including foreign nationals.
But in recent years the country has relaxed its stance amid growing international pressure.
Police Commissioner Tri Kuncoro, Senior Investigator of the Bali Provincial Narcotics Agency, claimed the pair were offered cash by a man named Santos to smuggle the goods into Bali.
He said: “The value promised was $5,000 USD. The British men told investigators that they had met about a week earlier in Barcelona, Spain, after being introduced by Santos, who is now on the wanted list.
“Both of them actually live in Thailand. They went to Barcelona to collect the drugs, then Piran travelled ahead to Bali while Kial transported the cocaine into Bali.
“The mastermind is this man named Santos. In fact, all three of them had met in Thailand. Santos is currently outside Bali.”
Police reportedly seized 1,321 grams of cocaine intended to be sold to tourists in Bali.
Brigadier General Rudy Ahmat Sudrajat, chief of the Bali Provincial Narcotics Agency, alleged there was a “strong possibility” the Brits were working for an international drug cartel.
He said: “Whether they are part of an international cartel – very likely, yes.
“Especially since they met in Barcelona and also reside in Thailand.
“For this cartel, intelligence suggests they are attempting to bring drugs into Bali, but that’s according to orders, so they’re not intended to drop the goods off here permanently.
Piran Ezra Wilkinson, 48, from Chichester, West Sussex
Kial Robinson, 29, suspected of working for an international cartel alongside his co-accused
“From here, the drugs may have been intended for distribution elsewhere. We are currently working to gather evidence to prove whether they are truly part of an international network.
But our suspicion is that they are indeed linked to an international cartel.”
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We have been made aware of two British nationals who have been detained in Bali. We continue consular support for both and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Earlier this year, three Brits from East Sussex were arrested for smuggling cocaine into Bali hidden in Angel Delight packets.
But in July an Indonesian judge let them off with just a one-year prison sentence because he said they had admitted their offences and behaved “politely”.
Jonathan Christopher Collyer, 38, and Lisa Ellen Stocker, 39, were arrested on February 1 after being stopped at Bali’s international airport with 17 packages of cocaine weighing almost a kilogram.
They appeared in court alongside Phineas Ambrose Float, 31, who was due to receive the packages from them but was arrested following a police sting operation.
ViralPressDrug traffickers found with large quantities of drugs have been executed in the past in Indonesia[/caption]
The pair are currently being held by Bali’s Narcotic AgencyViralPress Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
