REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DENPASAR -- An Australian man has been detained in Bali after allegedly being found at the international airport with a mix of marijuana and tobacco, and dozens of sedative pills.

Police confirmed Mr Baker, from Mount Isa in Queensland, later tried to escape from custody before being recaptured.

Mr Harjanto said Mr Baker had attempted to pass through the 'nothing to declare' customs lane but officers became suspicious and decided to check his bag.

After testing, they later determined the plastic bag contained 28 grams of marijuana and 8 grams of tobacco mixed together, and also found 37 Diazepam or prescription sedative pills.

Marijuana is a class one drug in Indonesia and Diazepam is illegal unless the user has a prescription.

The ABC has been told Mr Baker told officials the bag belonged to his Russian girlfriend who he was meeting in Bali.

Bali's deputy director of the Narcotics Division, Sudjarwoko, confirmed the Australian escaped from the island's police hospital, where he had received medical checks, on Tuesday morning.

"The suspect asked the two police officers guarding inside the room to go to the toilet," said officer Sudjarwoko, who goes by one name.

"After almost 20 minutes, the police officers knocked on the toilet door, when the door was knocked down the suspect was no longer there."

He said Mr Baker had removed the ventilation to escape, but was later found by police at a hotel in Nusa Dua after a wanted picture was distributed.

He had flown from Bangkok to Bali on Lion Air and has been returned to the Bali police hospital for observation.

Mr Baker faces charges of drug possession and importation.

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