Australian National Dies in Custody at Ngurah Rai Immigration Office
An Australian national, identified by the initials CJMH (39), died while undergoing immigration detention at the Class I Special TPI Ngurah Rai Immigration Office on Friday night (10/7/2026). The foreign man was detained for violating his residence permit (overstaying) and was due to be deported.
"The individual received emergency medical treatment before being pronounced dead en route to the hospital," said Ferry Tri Ardhiansyah, Head of Immigration Information and Communication Technology at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, on Saturday (11/7/2026).
The Ngurah Rai Immigration Office first received a report of suspected misuse of a residence permit by CJMH at the end of March 2026. Following a series of examinations, officers concluded that CJMH was proven to have misused his residence permit. The immigration office summoned CJMH for clarification several times, but he never complied. Officers subsequently arrested CJMH at his residence in Jimbaran Village, South Kuta District, Badung, accompanied by local banjar officials, on Friday (10/7/2026).
After his arrest, CJMH was placed in the detention room of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office while awaiting the deportation process. While the duty officer was on guard and monitoring via CCTV, an anomaly was observed as CJMH showed no movement for a considerable time while in the toilet. Officers immediately went to the location and found the detainee unconscious. They approached the victim and checked his vital signs. First aid was administered, including oxygen assistance. Immigration also immediately contacted the nearest hospital to request an ambulance.
The medical team that arrived at the scene provided initial treatment before taking CJMH to the Bali Jimbaran General Hospital. However, the man was pronounced dead en route to the hospital. Following the incident, the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office coordinated with the Badung Police and South Kuta Police to conduct a crime scene investigation. The exact cause of death is still under investigation. However, based on the hospital’s initial examination, the victim is suspected to have suffered a heart attack.
"The hospital’s initial examination results also noted a suspected heart attack as a factor at the time of the incident," Ferry explained.
The Head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, Bugie Kurniawan, expressed condolences to the Australian man’s family. He stressed that his office upholds the principles of transparency and accountability in every immigration law enforcement process, including the handling of this incident. According to Bugie, officers had carried out surveillance procedures according to operational standards. As soon as the anomaly was detected via CCTV, officers immediately responded quickly and provided first aid. The Ngurah Rai Immigration Office will continue to coordinate with the police, the hospital, and representatives of the Australian Government to ensure the entire handling process proceeds in accordance with applicable regulations.