An Australian national who was recently arrested for alleged drug trafficking and possession in Bali is also suspected of manufacturing drugs at his home on the island, police say, after authorities seized items allegedly containing psychotropic compounds.

The Denpasar Police recently arrested two local residents and an Australian national for alleged trafficking and possession of crystal methamphetamine, with authorities suspecting that they may be part of a larger criminal network.

The homecoming of Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab all the way in Jakarta also impacted hundreds of passengers flying in and out of Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport yesterday, with 17 flights reportedly delayed.

Police arrested a 34-year-old villa marketer in Bali accused of embezzling IDR215million (US$15,224) from a Ukrainian tenant in the past two years.

“The suspect admitted to having used up the money for daily expenses,” I Made Yudistira, who heads the criminal investigation unit at the Kuta sub-precinct, said yesterday.

Bali Governor Wayan Koster said that the central government in Indonesia is looking into a near-future possibility of opening up borders for foreign travelers, in the latest string of efforts to revive the province’s tourism-dependent economy.