L

aw enforcers in Bali have arrested an Indian national for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.5 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine onto the island.

Sayed Mohammed Said, 28, was arrested by customs and excise officers upon his arrival at Ngurah Rai International Airport on Saturday. His arrest, however, was not announced until Tuesday.

According to Ngurah Rai Customs and Excise Office head Budi Harjanto, Said, who works as a crewmember on a merchant ship, arrived at the airport from Bangkok on AirAsia flight QZ 521. Officers, he said, noticed Said showing suspicious body language as he collected his luggage at the arrivals terminal.

The officers'€™ suspicions were confirmed when Said'€™s luggage passed through the X-ray machine, and they moved to arrest him.

'€œWhen we searched his luggage, we found a plastic bag of crystal methamphetamine weighing 1,516 grams and covered in black tape,'€ Budi said.

During interrogation, Said, according to Budi, told customs officers and police investigators that the drugs belonged to a Nepali friend whom he had met in Bangkok and that he was supposed to hand it over to another party in Bali.

Said reiterated these claims to reporters.

'€œThe bag was owned by my friend from Nepal. It was not mine,'€ he said.

Bali Police narcotics unit chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Joni Lay, meanwhile, alleged that Said was a part of an international drug ring.

'€œAfter his arrest, we launched a follow-up investigation, but we haven'€™t yet been able to identify the person [to whom Said was intending to pass the drugs],'€ Joni said.

According to Joni, Said will be charged with Article 113 of the 2009 Narcotics Law, which carries the maximum punishment of death. He will also be charged with violating Article 102 of the 2006 Customs Law, which carries a maximum 10 years'€™ imprisonment and a Rp 5 billion (US$351,000) fine.

A popular destination for both domestic and foreign tourists, Bali, Joni said, had become a major target for the distribution of illegal drugs by international drug syndicates.

During the first nine months of the year, the Ngurah Rai Customs and Excise Office has foiled six drug smuggling attempts, seizing a total of 1.97 kg of crystal meth, 60.2 grams of marijuana, 7.2 g of cocaine and 25.64 grams of methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV).