Secret Drug Lab Run by Russian Network Uncovered at Gianyar Villa,\nBali<\/p>\n
BNN has arrested two Russian nationals, Sergei Tras (ST) and Natalia\nTomberg (NA). They were detained in connection with the production of\n7.3 kilograms of the drug mephedrone at a clandestine laboratory located\nin a villa in Gianyar, Bali.<\/p>\n
Sergei is known to be a former member of Russian military\nintelligence. Natalia has a background in Biology. \u201cST is a former\nRussian military intelligence officer. He is no longer in intelligence\ndue to back problems. Meanwhile NA studied Biology,\u201d said Acting Deputy\nfor Eradication of BNN Brigadier General Roy Hardi Siahaan during a\npress conference at the villa on Jalan Padat Karya, Blahbatuh District,\nGianyar, Bali, on Saturday (7 March 2026).<\/p>\n
Hardi disclosed that Sergei first arrived on the island in early\nJanuary 2026. Armed with three passports under different names, Sergei\nacted as a courier for the raw materials for making mephedrone imported\nfrom China.<\/p>\n
Sergei then delivered shipments of chemical liquids from China to the\nvilla in Gianyar. There, Natalia was responsible for processing all the\nprecursors using equipment purchased in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe precursors are turned into mephedrone. There is no Indonesian\nterm for the drug because it had not circulated in Indonesia before,\u201d\nHardi said.<\/p>\n
Drug market via the Dark Web<\/p>\n
Hardi explained that Natalia processed the chemical liquids into\nmephedrone in powder and crystal form. The powder and crystals were\nessentially ready for consumption, though they could still be converted\ninto other forms such as cocaine or ecstasy by users.<\/p>\n
After processing, NA sold the drug to customers who were also Russian\nnationals. The mephedrone was marketed through dark web marketplaces or\nanonymous markets on the darknet. Transactions used cryptocurrency or\nBitcoin.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccessing NA\u2019s marketplace on the dark web is quite difficult for\nus,\u201d Hardi stated.<\/p>\n
Sergei and Natalia were not acquainted. They are described as pawns\ncontrolled by a Russian individual with the initials SK. SK is now on\nthe run and suspected to be abroad.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey did not know each other, but they could interact because they\nwere controlled by SK,\u201d Hardi said.<\/p>\n
Hardi noted that Natalia was paid IDR 30 million and provided with\nfree villa accommodation for two months in Gianyar. Sergei did not\nreceive payment and was only provided with a free villa in Sukawati,\nGianyar.<\/p>\n
Natalia allegedly processed all raw materials into mephedrone daily\nfrom midnight to 04:00 local time. The villa on Jalan Padat Karya,\nhowever, was not her residence; she is known to move between villas\nwhile in Gianyar.<\/p>\n
Using counterfeit passports<\/p>\n
Sergei and Natalia reportedly used counterfeit passports during their\nactivities in Bali. This was revealed after a joint team raided two\nseparate locations in Gianyar on Thursday (5 March 2026) at around 23:30\nlocal time.<\/p>\n
At the first location, Villa Renas Kubu, officers arrested Sergei\nTras. From this location, authorities seized the Russian passport, a bag\nof evidence, and a canister containing chemical liquids believed to be\nprecursors for drug production.<\/p>\n
At the second location, The Tetamian Bali, officers arrested Natalia\nTomberg. From the white Toyota Agya car she rented, officers found\nseveral chemical liquids suspected to be connected to drug\nproduction.<\/p>\n
Additionally, officers found a passport suspected to be fake under\nthe name Kseniia Kozina. The passport is believed to have been used by\nNatalia to rent vehicles and villas during her stay in Bali.<\/p>\n
After arresting both, the joint team moved to Villa De Bale Marcapada\nin the Saba area, Blahbatuh District, Gianyar. At this villa,\ninvestigators found a clandestine drug laboratory. Two rooms in the\nvilla were used as production sites for mephedrone.<\/p>\n
One Russian national on the DPO list<\/p>\n
Acting Deputy for Eradication of BNN Brigadier General Roy Hardi\nSiahaan revealed there is another Russian national with the initials SK\nalias KS acting as the controller. SK is now listed as a person of\ninterest (DPO).<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter we questioned these two people (Tras and Natalia), we\ndesignated (SK) as a DPO (fugitive),\u201d Hardi said.<\/p>\n
Hardi explained that SK had briefly resided in Bali for about a month\nbefore Tras and Natalia arrived. While in Bali, SK received several\npackages containing chemical liquids imported from China.<\/p>\n
Thereafter, SK returned to Russia. Although overseas, he continues to\ncontrol the activities of Tras and Natalia in Bali, including importing\nchemicals under Natalia\u2019s name. Several chemicals sent from China to\nBali include Hydrobromide and Methylamine.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose two chemical liquids are precursors for the addictive\nsubstance (narcotics) known as mephedrone. Under Minister of Health\nRegulation No.\u00a015 of 2025, they are classified as Narcotics Class 1,\u201d he\nstated.<\/p>\n
Now, Sergei Tras and Natalia Tomberg must answer for their actions\nbefore the law. They face Article 114 of Law No.\u00a035 of 2009 on Narcotics\ntogether with several other charges, with a potential death penalty.<\/p>\n
DPR member calls for villa owners to monitor guests<\/p>\n
Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Commission III, I\nNyoman Parta, urged villa owners to be more vigilant about visitor\nactivities. He particularly called on owners who rent out properties on\na self-check-in basis to monitor their premises.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo all accommodation owners, especially those with self-check-in\nsystems, please monitor your premises. Do not simply accept payment,\u201d\nParta said.<\/p>\n
Parta added that some CCTV cameras are installed inside the villa. He\nbelieves owners should utilise these devices to monitor tenant\nactivity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis villa even has CCTV and has been occupied for a month. Yet the\nforeigners staying here were not checked using CCTV footage,\u201d the PDIP\npolitician added.<\/p>\n
(iws\/iws)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/secret-drug-lab-run-by-russian-network-uncovered-at-gianyar-villa-bali-1772938918", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }