Bali Police hunt foreign suspects in Ukrainian kidnap case
So far, the police have named six suspects, all foreign nationals, but authorities are still confirming their citizenship due to the use of multiple passports to enter Bali.
“All of them are foreign nationals with potentially more than two passports. Some have two or even three,” the Bali Police Public Relations Chief, Senior Commissioner Ariasandy, said on Friday (March 6).
He informed that the six suspects—RM, VK, AS, VN, SM, and DH—are all male and are currently being pursued by the Bali Police.
“We continue to coordinate with Immigration and the National Police’s International Relations Division to issue a wanted list (DPO) and a Red Notice to Interpol to locate them,” he said.
Police are still investigating the motives and roles of the suspects. Four of the six perpetrators have left Bali, while two remain unaccounted for in Indonesia.
Regarding the body parts found on Ketewel Beach in Gianyar District, his party confirmed they were identical to the kidnapping victim, Ihor Komarav.
Ariasandy explained that forensic tests showed the DNA from the body parts found on Ketewel Beach, bloodstains from multiple crime scenes, and the victim’s mother matched 99.99 percent after extensive testing.
The autopsy at Prof. Ngoerah General Hospital in Denpasar and DNA tests at the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency’s Forensic Laboratory began on February 26, 2026. The results were finalized on March 5, 2026.
“Comparison of the DNA profile results shows that the maternal alleles from the mother’s profile match the alleles from the blood found in the black Avanza car at the Summer Villa in Tabanan. The DNA profiles from the six bone samples, based on the maternal index calculation, indicate a 99.99 percent probability of a match,” Ariasandy confirmed.
Previously, Ihor Komarav was reported missing on February 15 while practicing motorcycle riding on Jimbaran hill in South Kuta, Badung District. Shortly after, a live video emerged showing the victim at a villa demanding a ransom.
A joint team from the Bali Regional Police launched an investigation, processed the crime scene, and examined CCTV footage.
Based on the analysis, a Toyota Avanza and two motorcycles were identified as vehicles used in the attack. The car was reportedly rented by CH at the request of another party for Rp6 million (approx. $345).
GPS tracking later led police to a villa in Tabanan. At the site, officers discovered bloodstains that were collected for forensic examination.
Similar traces were found inside the Avanza. Investigators suspect the villa was where Komarav recorded the ransom video sent to his family.
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Translator: Rolandus Nampu, Resinta Sulistiyandari