Indonesia arrests foreign nationals in Bali on drugs charges that could carry the death penalty

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities on the tourist island of Bali on Thursday announced the arrests of several foreign nationals, including an Australian, an Indian, and an American, on suspicion of possessing narcotics, charges that could carry the death penalty.

Customs officers at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport arrested an Indian national with the initials H.V., who was carrying a duffel bag, in the customs and excise inspection area on May 29. The officers found narcotic-related items in his belongings, authorities said.

Following up on the interrogation of H.V., later that day, officers from the National Narcotics Agency of Bali Province arrested an Australian man with the initials P.R., who has been visiting Bali since 1988.

P.R. asked H.V. to bring the duffel bag from Los Angeles to Bali, said I Made Sinar Subawa, an official from the narcotics agency, at a news conference.

During a search at a house where he stayed, officers found some narcotics in the form of hashish, a cannabis concentrate product, that belonged to P.R. and had been purchased over the Telegram messaging app.

The hashish was shipped from Los Angeles and Philippines before finally received in Bali, Subawa said. Officers seized 191 grams (6.7 ounces) of hashish along with some candies consisting of tetrahydrocannabinol, and 488 grams (17.2 ounces) of marijuana.

Both P.R. and H.V. are now suspected of dealing in narcotics, based on the evidence that was found with them, Subawa said.

“P.R. is suspected of violating Indonesia's Narcotics Law which carries the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for a minimum of four years and a maximum of 12 years,” said Subawa.

Along with H.V. and P.R., the agency also arrested W.M., an American, on May 23 while he was collecting a package from a post office in Bali.

An officer opened the package carried by W.M. and found seven pieces of silver packaging containing a total of 99 orange amphetamine pills and secured one white Apple iPhone brand cellphone.

The agency, at a news conference in the city of Denpasar on Thursday presented the evidence, including marijuana and hashish, seized from the suspects.

All suspects will undergo legal proceedings in Indonesia, including trial and sentencing.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Indonesia is a major drug-smuggling hub despite having some of the strictest drug laws in the world, in part because international drug syndicates target its young population.

The Southeast Asian country has extremely strict drug laws, and convicted smugglers can face severe penalties, including the possibility of execution by firing squad.

On Tuesday, three British nationals accused of smuggling nearly a kilogram (over two pounds) of cocaine into Indonesia were charged Tuesday in a court on Bali, while on May 27, an Australian man was arrested on suspicion of smuggling cocaine. If convicted, any or all of them could face the death penalty.

About 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are on death row in Indonesia, mostly for drug-related crimes, latest figures from the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections show. Indonesia’s last executions, of an Indonesian and three foreigners, were carried out in July 2016.

Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.

Australian national identified as P.R., second left, and an Indian national identified as H.V., left, who were arrested for drug possession, react during a National Narcotics Agency press conference in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Australian national identified only as P.R., center, and an Indian national identified as H.V., left, who were arrested for drug possession, react as a National Narcotics Agency officer shows evidence confiscated from them, during a press conference in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Australian national identified only as P.R., front right, who is handcuffed together with an Indian national identified as H.V., reacts as they are presented to the media with other drug suspects following their arrests, during a National Narcotics Agency press conference in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Australian national identified as P.R., second left, and an Indian national identified as H.V., left, who were arrested for drug possession, react during a National Narcotics Agency press conference in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)