British Citizen Faces 10 Years for 1.4kg Cocaine Possession in Bali

The public prosecutor from the Denpasar District Attorney's Office, Bali, has demanded a 10-year prison sentence for British citizen Baath Jarnail Singh (52) in a case involving the trafficking of 1.4 kilograms of cocaine. The indictment was presented by Prosecutor Finna Wulandaripadasidang at the Denpasar District Court on Tuesday, July 28. "Demanding that the panel of judges declare the defendant Baath Jarnail Singh to be proven legally and convincingly with a sentence of 10 years in prison, reduced for as long as the defendant is in custody," the prosecutor stated, as quoted by ANTARA. The prosecutor asserted that the defendant was found guilty of violating Article 114 paragraph (2) of Law Number 35 of 2009, in conjunction with other relevant legal provisions. This article pertains to the illegal distribution of Group I narcotics weighing more than five grams. In addition to the imprisonment, the prosecutor also requested that the defendant be fined Rp1 billion, with an alternative of six months imprisonment if the fine is not paid. Earlier proceedings detailed that the defendant was arrested by Denpasar Police officers on February 14, 2026, at room number 11 of The Legian Mas Beach Inn, Jalan Lebak Bene, Legian, Kuta, Badung. The investigation commenced after the police received public information regarding a foreign citizen's involvement in an international narcotics distribution network. Acting on this intelligence, the police conducted a raid and search of the defendant's room. Officers discovered five packages of cocaine with a total net weight of 1,419.79 grams stored in the defendant's bags and suitcases. Two electric scales, two mobile phones, and other items allegedly used for storing and packaging narcotics were also seized. Subsequent examination by the Bali Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that all seized evidence tested positive for cocaine, which is classified as a Class I Narcotic. A urine test on the defendant also revealed the presence of ecgonine methyl ester, a metabolite of cocaine. During the trial, the defendant confessed that he had traveled to Bali at the behest of an individual with the initials MIC, who is reportedly still listed as a wanted person (DPO). The defendant stated he was instructed to receive and store the cocaine package until it was collected by a person named Muhammad Ali. In exchange for his services, the defendant admitted to receiving Rp10 million in cash for his living expenses while holding the narcotics. Furthermore, he reported receiving transfers of 2,000 Hong Kong dollars eight to ten times from MIC. The trial is set to resume next week, with the agenda including the reading of the defense's notes or pleidoi by the defendant and his legal counsel. Source: VOI English