The Bali Police have uncovered an organised criminal network involving two Russian nationals and two Indonesian citizens, both of whom are active immigration officers, who extorted and assaulted foreign nationals across the island.
The case came to light after a Lithuanian citizen, Roman Smeliov (42), reported being attacked in his home in Jimbaran on 9 July 2025.
According to Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya, Chief of Bali Police, the syndicate carried out their operations under the guise of immigration enforcement, threatening victims with deportation and imprisonment to force compliance.
“The modus operandi of this group involves extortion through kidnapping and assault, as well as threatening to take the victim to the immigration office and deport them,” he said during a press conference held on 1 August 2025.
The incident involving Mr Smeliov occurred late at night. At approximately 11:30 PM, he returned to his residence and found two unknown individuals already inside. They immediately assaulted him, binding his limbs with duct tape and beating him until his nose bled.
The assault briefly ceased when the attackers realised Smeliov was not the intended target.
Shortly afterwards, two women and another man arrived at the scene wearing what appeared to be official immigration uniforms.
They demanded access to Smeliov’s mobile phone, extracted personal data, and insisted on seeing his passport.
“The victim was threatened with deportation, imprisonment, and even death if he did not cooperate and was asked not to report the incident,” Inspector General Daniel stated.
During the confrontation, the assailants mentioned a sum of 150,000 US dollars linked to an individual named Rustam, claiming Smeliov was associated with it. Fearful for his safety, he complied with their instructions.
Suspects Apprehended in NTB After Fleeing Bali
Smeliov filed a police report a week later, on 16 July 2025. Acting swiftly, Bali Police analysed CCTV footage and traced the suspects’ vehicle movements. Their investigation revealed that the group had fled Bali via Lembar Port and relocated to Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).
In coordination with the NTB Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Unit, the suspects were apprehended on 21 July. Russian nationals Iurii Vitchenko (30) and Ilia Shkutov (32) were arrested at a restaurant in Central Lombok, while Indonesian suspects Ernest Ezmail (24) and Yopita Barinda Putri (24) were later arrested in Denpasar.
Further investigation uncovered that the operation was not an isolated incident. Digital forensic analysis of the suspects’ mobile phones revealed their involvement in at least 27 similar cases across Bali.
“From the data we obtained from the ITE analysis of the Russian citizen’s cell phone, there were indeed 27 crime scenes. However, it is still under development because most of the victims have returned to their country,” Daniel explained.
Both Indonesian suspects are believed to work as immigration officers. The Directorate General of Immigration expressed its support for the investigation.
“We fully support the legal process carried out by the Provincial Police Chief and greatly respect the disclosure of this case,” said Parlindungan, Head of the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration.
However, he acknowledged the need for more decisive institutional action: “The sanctions will definitely be severe. After further investigation by the Police Chief and the Director (of Criminal Investigation), there will certainly be an ethics hearing and very heavy sanctions.”
Inspector General Daniel further disclosed that the operation was initially planned after a Russian suspect known by the initials “GG” offered Ezmail Rp3 million to locate a target referred to as “R”, who was believed to have a debt of Rp2.3 billion.
In return, Ezmail was promised a share of the recovered amount. “After obtaining the information, EE located the target’s residence and then contacted IV and IS to determine the timing for the extortion activity,” he said.
Authorities are now pursuing “GG”, believed to be a central figure in the broader network. The investigation also points to possible involvement in additional offences, including drug trafficking, prostitution, and cryptocurrency-based money laundering.
“This serves as a warning to other perpetrators to think twice before committing similar crimes,” Daniel added, noting continued coordination with immigration and other agencies to prevent further cases.
