An Australian journalist is facing possible deportation from Indonesia after being caught working on the Bali nine executions story while on a tourist visa.

Daily Mail reporter Candace Sutton had been filing articles under an anonymous byline from Cilacap, a port town near the execution island of Nusakambangan.

Daily Mail journalist Candace Sutton. Credit:Jon Reid

"It started with an information yesterday that a foreign reporter was doing journalistic activities at the Nusakambangan ferry dock," said Aditya Perdana, a spokesman for Cilacap's immigration office.

"We went there to meet the person but she's gone. Then we got info where she stayed so we went there and we met her at the hotel she's staying.