Sharp Rise in Bali Drug Arrests in 2006

(12/30/2006)

Interim data from the Bali Police show a dramatic increase in the number of narcotics-related arrests in Bali in 2006 with greater emphasis on catching drug dealers operating in Bali.

Data through the end of November 2006 show Bali Police have handled 519 drug-related cases in 2006, up +14.56% from the total cases handled in 2005 and a dramatic +74.16% more than the number of cases in 2004.

Arresting More Drug Dealers

In 2006, a total of 309 drug dealers were apprehended, up +89.57% from 2005(163) and +602.27% more drug dealers than were apprehended in 2004(44).

Users Beware

Recreational users of illegal drugs would be wrong to conclude, however, that the Bali police are relaxing their enforcement for simple use of drugs. Statistics released by the police indicate that arrests of "users" are keeping largely apace with previous years.

Police report that during 2006 they seized 784.85 grams of heroin, 11.58 kilograms of marijuana, 222.5 grams of hashish, 104.6 grams of cocaine, 13 codeine pills, and 352.06 grams of raw crystal meth and 1,655 tablets of the same substance.

Foreigners Still a Small Portion of Total Arrests

Through the first 11 months of 2006 the police arrested 417 males in narcotics-related cases of which only 21(5%) were foreigners. Of the 135 females busted for illegal drugs in 2006, only 5 (3.7%) were foreigners.