DENPASAR, Bali — A 36-year-old Brazilian woman has been arrested at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport after authorities allegedly found more than 3.6 kilograms of liquid cocaine concealed inside shampoo and personal care bottles in her luggage.
The woman, identified by her initials as TCDS, was detained at the international arrivals terminal on Tuesday, October 6, following a joint operation by Ngurah Rai Customs and Bali Police’s Narcotics Directorate.
Bali Police spokesperson Kombes Ariasandy said officers initially inspected the woman’s suitcase after she arrived at the airport.
During the search, authorities allegedly discovered liquid cocaine hidden inside bottles labelled as shampoo and other personal care products.
“From the suspect, we seized liquid cocaine weighing a total of 3,659.9 grams gross,” Ariasandy said on Sunday, October 11.
Police said the method used to conceal the drugs involved converting or disguising cocaine in liquid form.
“The modus operandi used was quite sophisticated, by changing or disguising cocaine narcotics into liquid cocaine,” Ariasandy said.
Following the discovery, TCDS was taken to the Bali Police Narcotics Directorate for further questioning and investigation.
Police described the seizure as one of the largest involving liquid cocaine recorded in Bali in recent years.
Authorities also confiscated the woman’s airline ticket and mobile phone as evidence.
Police have not yet publicly disclosed the flight route taken by TCDS before arriving in Bali or whether investigators believe other people were involved in the alleged smuggling operation.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the origin and intended destination of the drugs.
TCDS has not been convicted, and the allegations against her remain subject to the legal process.
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