Two British men have been sentenced to a combined 20 years in prison for smuggling cocaine into Bali. Kial Garth Robinson, 29, from Chichester, received an 11-year term, while Piran Ezra Wilkinson, 48, was handed nine years. Both were also ordered to pay a fine of approximately £45,000 or serve an additional 190 days in jail.
Robinson, a landscape gardener, was arrested on 3 September 2025 at Bali International Airport after customs officers found 1.3kg of the drug in his bag, according to prosecutors. He faced charges including drug trafficking, importation and possession. Both men told authorities that Robinson had been recruited by a man named Santos, who instructed him to carry the drugs from Barcelona to Bali.
The pair, who had met the week before their arrest, accepted the sentences. Robinson's lawyer, Robert Khuana, said his client had been “trapped in a syndicate scenario”, while Wilkinson's lawyer described the event as a lesson for the future.
Prosecutors said Robinson had been given $3,000 (£2,250) on 1 September 2025 to pay for flight tickets from Barcelona to Bali and from Bali to Thailand, where he planned to return a week later. They noted it was his first time carrying narcotics into Indonesia or any other country. Funds were also provided for accommodation at Anginsepoi Villa, as well as clothing, food and other essentials.
Drug trafficking is a serious offence in Indonesia, with the death penalty available as the most severe punishment. Bali has not carried out executions since 2016, when four men were put to death for drug trafficking. Robinson appeared in court in December wearing orange prison overalls and making hand gestures, including a thumbs up and peace sign.
