Mr Setiawan said Mr Cabantog was allegedly in possession of the cocaine, but both men had returned positive urine tests that indicated they had recently used the drug. He said they had admitted to buying the drug in Bali and were assisting police with their inquiries. The offence carries a maximum sentence of 12 years imprisonment and a minimum of five years under Indonesia's harsh laws on illicit drug use. Mr Cabantog and Mr Van Iersel shielded their faces from a large media contingent and did not respond to questions. William Cabantog (left) David Van Iersel (right) tried to shield their faces from the media. Credit:Amilia Rosa Wiliam Cabantog is marched outside Denpasar police station for a press conference. Credit:Amilia Rosa

Mr Setiawan said Balinese police had launched an investigation after receiving information about cocaine use among tourists. "We advise tourists, locals and foreigners to come here for a holiday, don't come to have a drugs party or to use drugs. We will take firm action if any foreigners resist. We will not be lenient," Mr Setiawan said. Twenty-seven other alleged Balinese offenders were also paraded in front of the cameras with their alleged contraband. The Australian pair was arrested on Friday morning by Balinese police, who also seized CCTV footage when they raided Lost City Bali in Canggu. David Van Iersel at Denpasar police station. Credit:Amilia Rosa

Mr Van Iersel had a management role at the upmarket club, while Mr Cabantog worked as a promoter. Mikael Hutabarat, chief of Denpasar police's drug unit, confirmed that CCTV footage has been taken from Lost City Bali and was being analyised by the forensic unit. He also confirmed that a set of scales had been seized. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald revealed on Monday that another Melbourne nightclub figure fled to Singapore before his apartment was raided by police. He is believed to have received a tip-off from a former manager at Love Machine nightclub in Prahan where two men were killed in a drive-by shooting in April this year.

Up to a dozen other foreign tourists, including Australian nationals, are implicated in the investigation, according to sources in Melbourne and Bali. Mr Cabantog is a former ambassador for Crown Casino venue Club 23 and worked as a promoter and bar manager for some of the city's biggest clubs, including Eve and Boutique. Denpasar police chief Ruddi Setiawan (left) and chief of the police drug unit Mikel Hutabarat (right) holding the scales and cocaine allegedly seized from William Cabantog. Credit:Amilia Rosa He relocated to Bali in September last year, where he promoted several upmarket nightclubs to international tourists, particularly Australians. The 35-year-old regularly used social media to spruik the tourist island to his network of friends in Melbourne.

"So blessed to live in paradise and to have my friends to experience this beautiful island together. If your [sic] looking at this photo and your [sic] in the cold Melbourne weather f--- it! Book the next flight over here so you can be in the next photo and the next Bali hangover," Mr Cabantog posted on Facebook last month. Melbourne nightclub promoter David Van Iersel. Mr Van Iersel moved to Bali almost a year ago, and had previously worked as a manager at St Kilda bar, Captain Baxter. He is understood to have grown up in the Keilor area and attended University High School in Parkville. Indonesia is renowned for its zero tolerance police towards illicit drugs, which resulted in the execution of Bali Nine ringleaders Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan in 2015.

Despite the obvious risks and explicit warnings at Denpasar Airport, Australian tourists continue to run the gauntlet and take drugs at Bali's late-night bars and clubs. The scales and small plastic bags allegedly containing cocaine seized by Bali police. Credit:Amilia Rosa In February, Brisbane man Brendon Luke Johnsson, 43, was sentenced by a Bali court to five years and four months in jail, after he was arrested with nearly 12 grams of cocaine. Mr Johnsson and his partner Remi Purwanti, 43, an Indonesian national, had initially faced a possible death sentence if convicted on more serious charges under the country's strict drug laws. He was ordered to serve the sentence in Bali's infamous Kerobokan Prison, where Schapelle Corby spent nine years after her conviction for smuggling 4.2 kilograms of cannabis in 2005. She was originally handed a 20-year sentence.