Brazilian Citizens Bring 3 Kilograms Of Cocaine To Bali, Promised Wage Of IDR 400 Million

DENPASAR - The National Narcotics Agency of Bali Province revealed the modus operandi of a foreign national from Brazil named Yuri Bezerra Da Costa (25) who smuggled three kilograms of cocaine into Bali.

Head of the Bali BNNP Eradication Division Kombes Sinar Subawa said the man who acted as a courier was arrested by Ngurah Rai BNN and Customs officers while landing at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali.

"The mode was hidden in the luggage (walls of suitcases and backpacks) with a weight of cocaine which was seized by 3,089.36 grams net," he said, Thursday, July 24.

In the drug smuggling action, YB acted as a courier promised to get a salary of Rp. 400 million after the goods would be welcomed by customers in Bali.

As a preliminary payment, drug owners in Brazil gave him USD 500 while the rest would be paid when the drug package had been received by the customer.

The money is already in the package so that there are no transactions made by YB in Bali with an order.

Subawa explained that YB was arrested on Sunday, July 13, 2025, after the Emirates Airlines plane on the Dubai-Denpasar route landed at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

At that time, Ngurah Rai Customs and Excise officers suspected a male passenger who had passed the Customs and Excise examination.

"After the inspection procedure was carried out using an x-ray machine on passengers' belongings named YB, two plastic clips containing narcotics were found with a total weight of 3,089.36 grams net," he said.

For this incident, Customs and Excise officers coordinated with BNNP Bali to jointly develop cases.

Based on the results of the interrogation, YB admitted that he brought the suspected cocaine narcotics from Brazil to Bali on the orders of a man named Tio Paulo to hand it over to someone in Bali.

Bali BNNP officers and Customs and Excise officers are trying to monitor shipments to find the recipients of the cocaine brought by YB.

After trying to make the delivery under control and waiting for a few hours at the agreed place between YB and the customer. However, it turned out that no recipients came to take the item.

Then after the officers checked YB's cellphone, it was discovered that Tio Paulo could not be contacted and withdrew/deleted the conversation with YB so that the controlled delivery of recipients in Bali could no longer be carried out.

For his actions, YB was charged with Article 113 Paragraph (2) or Article 112 Paragraph (2) of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics with a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 15 years.

When presented at a press conference in front of the media crew, YB only looked down and was wearing an orange vest and handcuffed.