A Peruvian woman has been accused of attempting to smuggle cocaine and ecstasy into Bali, concealing the narcotics in her underwear and a sex toy.
The 42-year-old, identified only by the initials N.S., was stopped by customs officers at Ngurah Rai International Airport on 12 August after officials noticed her unusual behaviour, police said.
Police alleged that six plastic packages wrapped in black duct tape were hidden in a green bra, while three more were concealed in black underwear. A further stash was found in a sex toy that had been inserted into her body.
Radiant, the head of Bali police’s narcotics unit, told reporters that officers seized 1.4kg of cocaine and 43 ecstasy tablets. He said the woman admitted she had been promised $19,000 to transport the drugs by a contact she met on the dark web in April.
The suspect is said to have travelled from Barcelona to Bali, with a stopover in Doha, before her arrest. She has been charged under Indonesia’s strict narcotics laws and faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted.
Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drug laws, with foreign nationals frequently handed severe sentences. While executions have been paused since 2017, capital punishment remains on the statute books and prosecutors continue to seek it in high-profile trafficking cases.
Last month three British nationals narrowly avoided the death penalty after being convicted of smuggling cocaine disguised as powdered desserts. Their cases highlighted once again the uncompromising stance of Indonesian authorities, who argue that harsh deterrents are necessary to combat trafficking networks that use the country as a transit hub.
The Peruvian woman remains in custody as investigators prepare their case for trial.
