Bali. Bali Police announced on Friday the arrest of three British nationals for their alleged involvement in smuggling cocaine into the resort island.

The suspects, who were apprehended in separate operations earlier this month, have been identified by their initials: JC, 37, LE, 39, and PA, 31.

"The cocaine was brought to Bali by JC and LE from the UK," said Commissioner Ponco Indriyo, Deputy Director of Bali Police’s Anti-Narcotics Unit, during a press conference in Denpasar.

The smuggling attempt was intercepted when JC and LE arrived at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport at around 8 p.m. on February 1, allegedly carrying 994.56 grams of cocaine hidden in food packaging. The pair had flown from the UK with a stopover in Doha before arriving in Indonesia.

Authorities discovered the narcotics during an inspection by customs officials and police at the airport. Ponco said officers became suspicious after detecting irregularities in the suspects’ luggage during an X-ray screening.

A closer inspection of one suitcase revealed 10 plastic packages labeled "Angel Delight" containing a total of 637.12 grams of a white powder suspected to be a Class 1 narcotic. In a second suitcase, officers found seven additional plastic packages weighing 443.10 grams, also believed to contain Class 1 narcotics, specifically cocaine.

JC and LE were immediately detained at the Ngurah Rai Customs Office for further investigation.

Controlled Delivery Leads to Third Arrest
Two days later, Bali Police conducted a controlled delivery of the drugs, tracking the package until another British national, PA, was arrested in the Tuban area, Badung Regency, Bali.

PA is believed to be connected to JC and LE, although police have not disclosed the exact nature of their relationship.

The total value of the seized cocaine is estimated at Rp 6 billion ($368,665). Police believe this was not an isolated incident, alleging that the suspects had successfully smuggled cocaine into Bali at least twice before their arrest. However, Ponco did not provide further details.

The three suspects were presented at the press conference held by Bali Police. Notably, JC and PA were seen laughing several times during the event.