Two British Nationals Face Death Penalty in Bali for Cocaine Smuggling

Two British men, Kial Robinson and Piran Ezra Wilkinson from Chichester, West Sussex, have been arrested in Bali on suspicion of smuggling 1.3 kilograms of cocaine, potentially facing the death penalty under Indonesia's strict drug laws. Robinson was detained at Bali's International Airport with the cocaine found in his backpack after arriving from Barcelona, while Wilkinson was arrested shortly after at a villa nearby. Both men claimed they were instructed by an individual named Santos to transport and deliver the drugs to a villa in the Badung district, with Indonesian authorities conducting a sting operation that led to their capture. Indonesia, known for its harsh penalties on drug trafficking including execution by firing squad, has not carried out a death sentence in nearly a decade, though many foreign nationals remain on death row. The British Foreign Office has confirmed consular support is being provided to the detainees and is in communication with local authorities. A press conference and a narcotic evidence destruction ceremony are scheduled to take place as the investigation continues.