An American national, identified by his initials JAP, was arrested at the Ngurah Rai International Airport last Wednesday for allegedly smuggling 1.36 grams of marijuana inside his backpack.
According to a report from Nusa Bali, the arrest was confirmed yesterday by Husni Syaiful from Bali’s Customs Office.
Customs officer reportedly grew suspicious of JAP during his security check and carried out a more intensive examination of both his belongings and person. Authorities then found four joints in his backpack, amounting to around 1.36 grams of marijuana.
“Based on that initial finding, we held him in custody for further examination. We checked the materials in question at the lab, where we confirmed that it was indeed marijuana,” Husni said, as quoted by Nusa Bali.
Husni added that JAP admitted to having bought the marijuana back in the United States, and intended to use it while on vacation in Bali. He also allegedly admitted to knowing prior to his visit that drugs are prohibited in Indonesia.
Under Indonesia’s notoriously harsh drug laws, JAP could face up to 15 years in prison, and a maximum fine of IDR 10 billion (USD 703,000).
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