Two British men have appeared in court in Indonesia accused of trying to smuggle £250,000 worth of cocaine into the tourist island of Bali, potentially facing execution by firing squad if convicted under the country’s notoriously strict drug laws.
Kial Robinson, 29, a landscape gardener from Chichester, and Piran Ezra Wilkinson, 48, a property manager from the same West Sussex town, were arrested in separate raids last week after Indonesian authorities allegedly discovered 1.3 kilograms of cocaine hidden in Robinson’s rucksack at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.
The arrests mark the latest in a string of British nationals caught in Indonesia’s unforgiving war on drugs, where convicted smugglers can face the death penalty or life imprisonment in some of Southeast Asia’s harshest detention facilities.
Airport Arrest Sparks Investigation
Robinson was detained on 3 September after arriving on a Turkish Airlines flight from Barcelona, with security staff allegedly uncovering the cocaine package during a routine X-ray screening at the airport. Indonesian authorities claim the drugs, worth an estimated £250,000 on Bali’s lucrative black market, were concealed in his luggage.
Wilkinson was subsequently arrested in a pre-dawn raid at a villa in Bali’s Badung district on 4 September, following information allegedly extracted during Robinson’s interrogation.
Bali National Narcotics Agency chief Brigadier General Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat told a press conference in Denpasar on Tuesday that both men had been residing in Thailand before meeting in Barcelona a week before their arrests. “PE travelled to Bali first and waited for the shipment,” Sudrajat stated, referring to Wilkinson by his initials as per Indonesian legal protocol.
International Drug Ring Suspected
Indonesian authorities believe the pair are part of a larger international drug trafficking syndicate, with investigators claiming Robinson was instructed by an individual named “Santos” to transport the cocaine from Barcelona to Bali for delivery to Wilkinson.
Senior Commissioner Tri Kuncoro of the Bali BNN revealed that both suspects admitted they had been promised US$5,000 (£3,800) each to smuggle the cocaine into Bali and sell it to foreign nationals. “There are many foreign communities in Bali, and they are the target market because the price of cocaine is very expensive,” Kuncoro explained.
The agency chief added there was “a possibility they are part of a cartel,” raising concerns about organised crime networks targeting Indonesia’s thriving tourist destinations.
Death Penalty Looms
The two men now face charges under Indonesia’s Law No. 35/2009 on Narcotics, including Article 113(2) and Article 112(2), which carry the death penalty, life imprisonment, or prison terms ranging from 5 to 20 years for drug trafficking offences.
Indonesia maintains some of the world’s toughest drug laws, with nearly nine in 10 prisoners on death row convicted of drug-related offences, according to Amnesty International. The country’s Ministry of Immigration and Corrections reports that 96 foreigners were on death row for drug charges as of November 2024.
While Indonesia has not carried out executions since July 2016, when an Indonesian and three foreigners were put to death by firing squad, the threat remains real for those convicted of serious drug offences.
Foreign Office Confirms Support
The Foreign Office confirmed it is aware of the arrests and is providing consular support to both men. A spokesperson told MailOnline: “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.”
The arrests come amid heightened scrutiny of drug trafficking in Bali, with authorities reporting 15 drug cases between April and May 2025 alone, resulting in 21 arrests including five foreigners. An American national, William Wallace Molyneaux, and two Kazakh men were also arrested earlier this year facing similar death penalty charges.
British Nationals’ Troubled History in Bali
Robinson and Wilkinson join a growing list of British nationals who have faced Indonesia’s harsh justice system over drug offences. Earlier this year, three British drug mules – Jonathan Collyer, Lisa Stocker, and Phineas Float – avoided the death penalty after being caught trying to smuggle cocaine disguised in Angel Delight dessert packets, receiving one-year sentences instead.
Thomas Parker, a British electrician, was handed a 10-month prison sentence in May for “hiding information from authorities” after initially facing accusations of smuggling a kilogram of MDMA into the country.
The most high-profile case remains that of Lindsay Sandiford, a 69-year-old British grandmother who has been on death row since 2013 after being caught with 3.8 kilograms of cocaine stuffed in her luggage lining at Bali’s airport. Indonesia’s highest court upheld her death sentence despite claims she was coerced by a criminal gang threatening her family.
Andrea Waldeck, another British woman, served nearly 10 years of a 14-year sentence for smuggling crystal methamphetamine before dying suddenly last year with only nine months remaining on her term. The 53-year-old former police community support officer from southwest England had claimed her boyfriend in China asked her to traffic the drugs in exchange for $5,000.
Indonesia’s Uncompromising Stance
Indonesia’s approach to drug offences has drawn international criticism, particularly under President Joko Widodo’s administration, which declared a national drug “emergency” in 2014. Between 2015 and 2016, Indonesia executed 18 convicted drug traffickers, the majority foreign nationals, sparking diplomatic tensions with several countries.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime identifies Indonesia as a major drug-smuggling hub despite its strict laws, partly because international drug syndicates target its young population and thriving tourist destinations like Bali.
Made Dwi Saputra, spokesperson for Bali’s Narcotic Agency, confirmed a press conference would be held on Tuesday alongside a ceremony to destroy seized narcotic evidence. “We will carry out a modest ceremony to destroy some narcotic evidence, as well as a press release on several cases,” he stated.
Recent Policy Shifts
Indonesia’s new Criminal Code, set to take effect in 2026, introduces some changes to death penalty provisions, making it an alternative rather than primary punishment and providing a 10-year probationary period during which sentences could be commuted to life imprisonment for good behaviour.
President Prabowo Subianto’s administration has also shown some flexibility, recently repatriating several high-profile foreign inmates sentenced for drug offences. In December 2024, the five remaining members of the notorious “Bali Nine” drug ring were returned to Australia after spending years in Indonesian prisons.
However, these policy shifts offer little immediate comfort to Robinson and Wilkinson, who face the prospect of decades in Indonesian prisons or potentially death if convicted. Their cases serve as a stark reminder of the extreme risks involved in drug trafficking through Indonesia, where the paradise island of Bali can quickly become a nightmare for those caught breaking its unforgiving laws.
The men are expected to remain in custody as Indonesian authorities continue their investigation, with formal charges likely to be filed in the coming weeks. If convicted of the most serious charges, they would join the nearly 100 foreign nationals currently on death row in Indonesia, all for drug-related offences.
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