Two Ukrainians, Ivan and Mykyta Volovod, have been charged with life imprisonment in Bali after being found guilty of running a drug manufacturing operation. The twin brothers, who initially claimed to be tourists, were involved in the illegal production of marijuana and mephedrone at a clandestine laboratory in the Sunny Villages area of Tibubeneng Village, North Kuta, Badung, Bali.
At a recent hearing at Denpasar District Court, Badung District Attorney Ramdhoni stated, “We demand that the panel of judges declare the defendants legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing a criminal offence as outlined in the primary charge.”
The prosecutor’s indictment cited the brothers’ actions as a violation of Indonesian law, specifically Article 113 Paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 132 Paragraph (1), which governs the illegal production, importation, exportation, or distribution of Class I narcotics.
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In his separate case file, the prosecutor recommended a life sentence for Ivan Volovod. Both brothers were involved in international drug networks, and authorities consider them having failed to support government efforts to combat narcotics trafficking. However, the court acknowledged that they had behaved respectfully during the trial.
The Volovod twins were proven to have cultivated marijuana hydroponically. Over several months, they produced approximately 9.7 kilograms of marijuana, which were confiscated as evidence.
They faced charges for producing mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant, by mixing various chemicals into a dough-like substance, and preparing it for distribution. All raw materials used to manufacture mephedrone were reportedly purchased online from suppliers in China.
On January 14, 2025, the trial will proceed with the reading of the defence memorandum.
The Arrest of the Volovod Twins
The National Police Criminal Investigation Unit uncovered the existence of the drug lab during a raid on May 2, 2024, at around 2 p.m. During the operation, Mykyta Volovod was arrested on-site, while his brother Ivan was apprehended later at a rented property in Benoa, South Kuta.
The Volovod brothers arrived in Bali in August 2021, having been invited by Roman Nazarenko. Roman Nazarenko invited the Volovod brothers to run a narcotics operation in Bali in August 2021, offering a salary of US $10,000 (approximately IDR 154 million) for every kilogram of mephedrone produced, and US $3,000 (around IDR 46 million) for each kilogram of marijuana.
The pair were introduced to a man named Oleksii Kolotov, who is still on the run and remains a wanted fugitive.
In January 2022, Oleksii provided financial support to help the brothers set up the drug lab and trained them in the methods of hydroponic marijuana cultivation.
However, the police eventually discovered their illegal activities.
The Volovod twins are now facing life sentences for their involvement in one of Bali’s most significant drug manufacturing cases in recent years.
