BALI, Indonesia — In Denpasar District Court, Bali, three British citizens—Jonathan Christopher Collyer, Lisa Ellen Stocker, and Phineas Ambrose Float—listened quietly as officials accused them of bringing almost a kilogram of cocaine into Indonesia.
Prosecutors say the drugs were disguised as Angel Delight, a familiar dessert mix in Britain. The three are now on trial under Indonesia’s strict anti-drug rules, which carry the death penalty.
Their first court appearance on 3 June 2025 drew attention from around the world, highlighting Indonesia’s tough approach to drug crimes, which has led to the execution of foreigners and ongoing debate about the harsh penalties.
The prosecution claims Collyer, Stocker, and Float tried to smuggle in 993.56 grams of cocaine, worth about 6 billion rupiah (£271,000 or $368,000). The drugs were hidden in 17 packets marked Angel Delight—ten in Collyer’s bags and seven in Stocker’s—found during a customs search at Bali’s main airport on 1 February 2025.
Float was taken into custody days later in a sting operation in Denpasar after he allegedly received the drugs in a hotel car park. If found guilty, the three could face execution by firing squad. While Indonesia has not carried out executions since 2017, the law still allows for it.
Courtroom Proceedings: A Day of High Tension
On 3 June, Collyer (38), Stocker (39), and Float (31) entered the Denpasar court under security escort. Wearing simple clothes, they listened as prosecutor I Made Dipa Umbara read out the charges. Court documents show that customs officers flagged the suspected packets during an X-ray screening, then lab tests found cocaine in all 17 sachets.
Prosecutors explained the drugs travelled from England, stopping over in Doha, Qatar. Umbara said this wasn’t the group’s first attempt, claiming they had twice brought cocaine to Bali before. This pattern, echoed by Bali Police Narcotics Unit’s deputy director Ponco Indriyo at a February press event, suggests organized trafficking. The high value of the cocaine and alleged repeat offences point to a planned operation, but the defendants haven’t commented publicly.
Float was arrested two days after Collyer and Stocker. Police say they set up a sting, with Collyer and Stocker handing over the drugs to Float in a Denpasar hotel car park. Float, who has served time in the UK for armed robbery and drugs charges, faces the same possible outcome as the others. The judges have postponed the trial until 10 June, when they’ll hear from witnesses. All three wait in custody as their case makes headlines.
Indonesia’s Harsh Drug Laws
Indonesia’s drug laws are among the strictest worldwide. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says the country remains a main route for smugglers, despite its tough stance. Since 2009, anyone caught with over five grams of certain drugs, including cocaine, risks the death penalty, life in prison, or a long sentence. Execution by firing squad has been used, but the last drug-related executions were in July 2016.
Indonesian leaders say the strict policy aims to protect the country’s young people and stop international crime rings. There is also a strong cultural rejection of drugs. Bali’s popularity with tourists makes it a target for smuggling. It’s busy airports and a steady flow of visitors offer cover for traffickers who use inventive ways, like hiding drugs in food products, to try to slip past checks.
President Prabowo Subianto has kept the hardline approach but shown some flexibility. Recently, a few high-profile foreign prisoners have been sent home on health or humanitarian grounds. Frenchman Serge Atlaoui, on death row for drug production, was sent to France for medical reasons in February 2025. Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, convicted of trafficking in 2010, returned to the Philippines in December 2024. These cases signal a slight shift, but the death penalty still looms for new convictions.
The story of Lindsay Sandiford, a British grandmother sentenced to death in 2013 for smuggling 3.8 kilograms of cocaine into Bali, remains a warning. Sandiford, now 67, is still on death row in Kerobokan Prison. She has made repeated appeals, arguing she was forced by threats from a UK gang, but Indonesia’s top court upheld her sentence. Recent repatriations give her some hope, but her future is unclear.
Foreign Nationals and the Death Penalty
Indonesia’s history of executing foreigners for drug crimes has led to global criticism. Since the 1990s, those executed have included Australians, Nigerians, Brazilians, and others, often causing diplomatic rifts.
The most famous case involved the “Bali Nine,” a group of Australians caught trying to move 8.3 kilograms of heroin in 2005. Ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed in 2015, despite heavy protests from Australia and rights groups. The event caused a temporary breakdown in Australia-Indonesia relations.
Other foreign nationals have had similar outcomes. In 2004, Indian citizen Dev Kimar Schular was executed. In 2005, two Nigerians, Samuel Iwachekwu Okoye and Hansen Anthony Nwaolisa, were killed.
In 2015, several others, including a Brazilian, a Malawian, and a Dutchman, were executed in one night. These events often led to strong responses from their home countries. Although Indonesia hasn’t carried out executions since 2017, the threat remains for those caught.
Groups like Amnesty International say the death penalty breaks international law and doesn’t stop drug trafficking. Critics point to research showing that tough penalties don’t lower drug use or smuggling, as criminals keep finding new ways to operate. Indonesian officials insist their rules are needed to protect society, especially younger people. As of now, around 530 people, including 96 foreigners, are on death row, mainly for drug offences.
Angel Delight Smuggling: An Unusual Method
Hiding cocaine in Angel Delight packets marks a new approach in smuggling tactics. The dessert mix, common in British homes, seems an unlikely place to hide drugs, probably chosen to avoid suspicion. Customs officers’ checks and modern X-ray machines caught the attempt.
This case is similar to other recent smuggling efforts, such as drugs hidden in foie gras and duck breasts in the UK (2024) or cannabis-laced sweets sent to a US basketball player in Indonesia (2025). Traffickers keep trying new tricks to beat security.
Officials say Collyer, Stocker, and Float have smuggled cocaine into Bali twice before. If true, this points to a well-organized network, possibly with links beyond Indonesia. The drugs’ journey from England through Qatar hints at a wider operation, though investigators have not confirmed further details. The trial will continue to attract attention as more is revealed.
