A case of alleged kidnapping and fraud disguised as job placement to\nAustralia, involving Bangladeshi nationals in Buleleng, Bali, in\nFebruary 2026, has uncovered new facts. Five victims and five\nperpetrators from Bangladesh entered Indonesia through illegal routes or\n\u201crat paths\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Head of the Singaraja Immigration Office, Anak Agung Gde Kusuma\nPutra, stated that all the Bangladeshi nationals did not pass through\nImmigration Checkpoints (TPI) when entering Indonesian territory.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor this case, there are 10 people, consisting of five victims and\nfive perpetrators. All entered without going through immigration\ncheckpoints, but via rat paths,\u201d said Kusuma Putra on Tuesday\n(12\/5\/2026).<\/p>\n
The case came to light after the Immigration office received\ninformation from the police. Subsequently, Singaraja Immigration\ncoordinated and handled the matter on the ground.<\/p>\n
Of the five victims, four have been deported to their home country\nafter undergoing data collection and immigration checks. Meanwhile, one\nother victim is still under further handling. As for the five\nBangladeshi nationals suspected as perpetrators, they are now undergoing\nlegal processes by law enforcement authorities.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Head of the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate\nGeneral of Immigration, Felicia Senky Ratna, highlighted the\nvulnerability of Indonesia\u2019s border areas that allow foreigners to enter\nillegally.<\/p>\n
According to her, as an archipelagic nation, Indonesia has many\nborder points that are not all official inspection locations, making\nthem prone to exploitation by cross-border illegal networks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndonesia is an archipelagic country. Not all border points are\nimmigration checkpoints. That means, the opportunity for foreigners to\nenter through unofficial routes is wide open,\u201d said Felicia.<\/p>\n
She also revealed suspicions of involvement by international\nsyndicates facilitating illegal cross-border movements. The methods used\ninclude utilising sea routes with traditional boats at night to avoid\nsurveillance by officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are even international syndicates that facilitate their entry\ninto Indonesian waters illegally,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n
Felicia emphasised that border surveillance cannot be solely the\nresponsibility of Immigration, but is a shared duty across agencies,\nincluding the police and other relevant institutions. Similar practices,\nshe said, are often found in other border areas like the Riau Islands,\nwhich have many unofficial routes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a shared responsibility. Not just Immigration, but all\nagencies with authority in safeguarding the state\u2019s borders,\u201d she\nasserted.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the Buleleng Police Chief, Ruzi Gusman, revealed\nthat the case began with a report from two victims who managed to escape\nfrom a villa in Pemuteran Village, Gerokgak Subdistrict.<\/p>\n
The two victims then sought help at a local military facility before\nbeing taken to the police station. From initial statements, it was known\nthat there were still three other victims allegedly held captive at the\nlocation.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the victims\u2019 confessions, they were kidnapped and extorted for\nmoney by fellow Bangladeshis. There are five victims in total and also\nfive perpetrators,\u201d said Ruzi.<\/p>\n
The police, acting swiftly, immediately went to the scene. Although\nthe perpetrators were no longer there, officers found several pieces of\nevidence such as binding ropes and a messy room condition.<\/p>\n
Subsequently, the apparatus conducted a sweep and coordinated across\nunits until they successfully secured eight people at an inn in the\nGilimanuk area. After examination, five were perpetrators and the other\nthree were victims.<\/p>\n
From the examination results, the victims had previously worked in\nMalaysia and were promised illegal dispatch to Australia. They entered\nIndonesia through unofficial routes in the Riau Islands area, then moved\nfrom Jakarta to Bali.<\/p>\n
During the journey, the victims were asked to pay a sum of money\nunder the pretext of operational costs for the departure. Upon arriving\nin Buleleng, they were further extorted through intimidation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe victims were tied up, intimidated, and even threatened with\nsharp weapons to demand additional money,\u201d revealed Ruzi.<\/p>\n
He added that the perpetrators had called the victims one by one to\npressure them into handing over money. However, when the situation was\nlax, two victims managed to escape and report to the authorities.<\/p>\n
The police assured that there is no indication of involvement by\nonline gambling networks in this case. The investigation focuses on\nallegations of fraud, extortion, and human smuggling. The perpetrators\nare charged under Articles 457 and 482 of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the\nCriminal Code.<\/p>\n
Previously, five Bangladeshi nationals were reported as victims of\nkidnapping in Pemuteran Village, Gerokgak Subdistrict, Buleleng. The\ncase came to light after one victim managed to escape.<\/p>\n
The Head of Public Relations of Buleleng Police, Yohana Rosalin Diaz,\nconfirmed the report. The alleged kidnapping report was received on 17\nFebruary 2026 from one victim named Abdul Hossain Joel.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/10-bangladeshi-nationals-in-buleleng-kidnapping-case-entered-indonesia-illegally-1778567927", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }