Indonesian police on the resort island of Bali have detained two French nationals and an Italian citizen on suspicion of producing and distributing pornographic content in violation of the country’s strict anti-pornography laws.

Authorities in Badung district say the three foreigners, a French woman and two men from France and Italy, are accused of creating explicit videos for profit and circulating them online. Badung police chief Joseph Edward Purba told reporters the group was being investigated for allegedly seeking to “profit from pornographic video and content.”

Under Indonesia’s anti-pornography legislation, the suspects could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of producing pornographic material, with an additional potential six-year sentence for distributing such content via the internet. The law applies nationwide, including in Bali, which, despite its reputation as a liberal tourist haven, remains bound by national regulations shaped by conservative social norms.

Bali is predominantly Hindu and draws millions of foreign visitors each year, many of whom are attracted by its beaches, nightlife and relatively relaxed local culture. Yet Indonesia as a whole, where the majority of the population is Muslim, maintains some of the region’s toughest restrictions on pornography and public morality.

Police say the current case began after a sexually explicit video went viral on social media, prompting an investigation that led to the three Europeans. Immigration officers arrested the French woman, described by officials as a “content creator,” and the Italian man at Bali’s airport as they attempted to board a flight to Thailand. The second French national, identified as the woman’s “manager,” was detained several days later in Badung.

The arrests come amid growing frustration among Balinese authorities over what they describe as increasingly unruly behavior by some foreign tourists. In recent years, officials have deported several visitors for actions deemed disrespectful or illegal, including Russian social media personalities who posed naked at sacred temples and other culturally sensitive sites.

Last year, British adult film performer Bonnie Blue was deported from Bali after a traffic violation fine became the only sanction to emerge from a separate investigation into alleged porn production on the island.

The three detained Europeans remain in police custody as investigators examine digital evidence and financial records. Formal charges have yet to be announced, but officials say the case will be pursued under Indonesia’s national anti-pornography law.