Australian Man Arrested in Bali Over 1.5kg Cocaine Haul

An Australian man has been arrested in Bali for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a package sent from Thailand. He was apprehended in an apartment in Canggu and reportedly resisted arrest, sustaining injuries during the process. The cocaine's estimated street value is approximately 1.14 million Australian dollars, and the charges he may face carry a penalty ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty under Indonesian law. This case echoes the high-profile Bali Nine drug smuggling saga, where two Australian ringleaders were executed in 2015, and the remaining members were recently returned to Australia after serving long prison sentences. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance, though it has not commented further due to privacy obligations. The arrest poses a potential diplomatic challenge for Australia, which opposes the death penalty.