A 25-year-old Brazilian national, Yuri Besera Dacosta, also known as YB, has been arrested at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, for attempting to smuggle over 3 kilograms of cocaine into Bali, Indonesia.
The arrest was made on Sunday, 13 July 2025, by officers from the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and Ngurah Rai Customs and Excise, following his arrival on an Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai.
Officers apprehended a man identified as YB at the international arrival terminal of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on 13 July 2025. A net weight of 3,089 grams of cocaine was successfully seized,” said Commissioner I Made Sinar Subawa, Head of the Bali Provincial Narcotics Agency (BNNP), during a press conference held on Thursday, 24 July 2025.
According to authorities, the drugs were concealed in the inner lining of YB’s suitcase and backpack. The total net weight of cocaine seized was recorded at 3,089.36 grams.
“The drugs were hidden in luggage suitcase and backpack walls with a total weight of 3,089.36 grams of cocaine seized,” said Commissioner Subawa, who was accompanied by the Head of the Bali BNNP, Brigadier General Rudy Ahmad Sudrajat, as reported by ANTARA.
The narcotics were allegedly transported from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and were destined for delivery to an unidentified recipient in Bali. However, the BNN has been unable to confirm the identity of the buyer due to the deletion of communication records on YB’s mobile phone.
Syndicate and Payment Trail Linked to South American Network
Commissioner Subawa explained that the arrested individual acted as a courier within an international drug network, believed to operate between Brazil and South Africa with links in Bali.
“The cocaine was already packaged with the money or payment. Therefore, there was no transaction. The plane ticket was also provided by the syndicate’s leader in Brazil,” Subawa added.
The courier was reportedly recruited by a man identified as Tio Paulo, who remains in Brazil. Authorities believe that Tio arranged the logistics and payment in advance. Yuri received US$500 as an upfront payment, which had been inserted into the drug package. He was promised an additional payment of approximately Rp400 million upon successful delivery in Bali.
Following his arrest, YB was charged under Article 113(2) of Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of the death penalty in Indonesia.
“This provision has also been applied to other drug trafficking suspects since 19 June 2025,” said Subawa. “They are identified by the initials MS, NL, LP, SW, AW, and AR—members of a narcotics network spanning Jimbaran, Madura, and Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara.”
The smuggling attempt was thwarted after Ngurah Rai Customs officers noticed suspicious behaviour during the baggage screening process. Upon conducting an X-ray inspection of YB’s luggage, officials found two sealed plastic bags containing the illegal substance.
“After conducting an X-ray inspection of the luggage belonging to passenger YB, two plastic bags containing cocaine with a total net weight of 3,089.36 grams were discovered,” Subawa stated.
Following the discovery, Customs officers coordinated with the Bali BNNP to conduct a joint investigation into the broader drug network.
The case remains under investigation as BNN continues to trace the local recipients and cross-border connections within the trafficking network. Authorities have reiterated their commitment to cracking down on international drug syndicates operating within Indonesia.
