An Australian citizen has died while in custody at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office detention centre in Bali, Indonesia. The 39-year-old man, identified by his initials CJMH, was found unresponsive on Friday evening, 10 July 2026. Authorities suspect the cause of death was a heart attack.
CJMH had been detained earlier that day following a formal investigation into the misuse of his stay permit. The initial enforcement action stemmed from a public complaint submitted to immigration authorities in late March 2026.
Bugie Kurniawan, the Head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, stated that officers apprehended CJMH at his residence in the Jimbaran area, located within the South Kuta District of the Badung Regency. The enforcement operation was conducted in cooperation with local village officials.
According to immigration authorities, the arrest followed a comprehensive investigation. Following the initial public complaint in March, CJMH was subjected to a series of checks and formal invitations for clarification. The investigation ultimately concluded that the Australian national was guilty of violating the terms of his stay permit.
Mr Kurniawan noted that the individual had been given multiple opportunities to resolve his immigration status voluntarily.
“Despite being given repeated opportunities to complete his immigration process cooperatively, CJMH apparently failed to comply with the officers’ official invitations,” Mr Kurniawan said.
Consequently, officers moved to secure the citizen on Friday afternoon, placing him in a detention cell to await formal deportation protocols.
Emergency Response and Ongoing Investigation
The medical emergency was detected during routine monitoring later that day. Duty officers were reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage when they noticed anomalies in the detainee’s behaviour.
“That same afternoon, officers on duty conducted a routine check on the detainee’s condition in his cell. During regular surveillance via CCTV, officers noticed an unusual position in the detainee, who remained motionless for a considerable period of time in the toilet,” Mr Kurniawan explained in an official statement released on Saturday, 11 July 2026.
Immigration personnel immediately entered the cell and found CJMH unconscious. Staff administered first aid, applied oxygen, and contacted local medical services to dispatch an ambulance. A medical team arrived shortly afterwards to provide emergency treatment before transferring him to the Bali Jimbaran General Hospital. However, CJMH was pronounced dead before arrival at the medical facility.
“The hospital’s initial examination indicated a suspected heart attack as a factor in the incident,” Mr Kurniawan stated.
Following the death, the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office coordinated with the Badung Police and the South Kuta Police to conduct a formal forensic examination of the scene. Mr Kurniawan emphasised that the immigration service is cooperating fully with local law enforcement, noting that the definitive investigation into the cause of death falls strictly under the jurisdiction of the police and medical examiners.
“We uphold transparency and accountability in all immigration enforcement processes, including in this incident. Officers on duty followed routine monitoring procedures according to standard procedures, and as soon as irregularities were detected through CCTV, they immediately responded and administered first aid,” Mr Kurniawan concluded.
Photo by Yash Gaikwad/Pexels
