Two British tourists were arrested for allegedly smuggling cocaine into Bali for an international drug cartel.

Kial Robinson, 29, and Piran Ezra Wilkinson, 48, both from Chichester in West Sussex, were allegedly caught with 1.3 kilograms of the hard drugs on the holiday island.

Kial, a landscape gardener, was detained at Ngurah Rai International Airport on September 3 when X-ray scans found the illegal haul in his luggage. He claimed he was paid 5,000 USD (3,683 GBP) to deliver the illicit goods to a contact in Bali.

Police arranged a sting operation and arrested the intended recipient, property manager Piran Ezra Wilkinson, 48, at a villa in Badung district, in the early hours of September 4.

Both Brits today appeared before the media with other drug suspects, wearing orange jumpsuits as local officials discussed their arrests.

Police Commissioner Tri Kuncoro, Senior Investigator of the Bali Provincial Narcotics Agency, said the pair were offered 5,000 USD (3,683 GBP) by a man named Santos to smuggle the goods into Bali.

He said: 'The value promised was 5,000 USD.

'The British men told investigators that they had met about a week earlier in Barcelona, Spain, after being introduced by Santos, who is now on the wanted list. Both of them actually live in Thailand. They went to Barcelona to collect the drugs, then Piran traveled ahead to Bali while Kial transported the cocaine into Bali.

'The mastermind is this man named Santos. In fact, all three of them had met in Thailand. Santos is currently outside Bali.'

Police seized 1,321 grams of cocaine intended to be sold to tourists in Bali.

Brigadier General Rudy Ahmat Sudrajat, chief of the Bali Provincial Narcotics Agency, said there was a 'strong possibility' the Brits were working for an international drug cartel.

He said: 'Whether they are part of an international cartel— very likely, yes. Especially since they met in Barcelona and also reside in Thailand. For this cartel, intelligence suggests they are attempting to bring drugs into Bali, but that's according to orders, so they're not intended to drop the goods off here permanently.

'From here, the drugs may have been intended for distribution elsewhere. We are currently working to gather evidence to prove whether they are truly part of an international network. But our suspicion is that they are indeed linked to an international cartel.'

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We have been made aware of two British nationals who have been detained in Bali. We continue consular support for both and are in contact with the local authorities.'

The tourists, and dozens of other foreigners detained on drug-related charges, may face the firing squad under Indonesia's harsh anti-drug laws, which are among the strictest in the world.

Drug traffickers, especially those caught with large quantities, may face execution by firing squad. If the quantity is large but not enough for the death penalty, life in prison is a common sentence.

Even possession can result in lengthy prison terms.

However, the country has been reluctant to administer executions amid growing international pressure.