Ethiopian National Wanted by Interpol Deported from Bali
An Ethiopian national, identified by the initials SMY (29), was denied entry into Indonesia by the Ngurah Rai Class I Special Immigration Office (TPI) due to his status as an Interpol fugitive. He was subsequently deported in the early hours of Tuesday (15/09/202cap). SMY arrived at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Sunday, 6 September 2026, via a Scoot Tigerair flight.
During immigration inspections, officers discovered that SMY’s name appeared on the Interpol Hit list (Red Notice) with the offence code listed as fraud.
“During further investigation by officers, it was revealed that the individual’s name is listed in the Interpol Hit list (Red Notice) with the offence code Fraud,” stated the Head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, Muhamad Novyandri, on Friday (18/09/2026).
SMY is known to be a fugitive related to a fraud case in Ethiopia involving total losses of ETB 46.4 million, or approximately Rp 5 billion. According to the Interpol Individual Report, SMY has been wanted for arrest since the notification was issued on 9 April 2026.
Ngurah Rai Immigration officers coordinated with the Indonesian NCB Interpol. Based on the results of this coordination, it was recommended that SMY be denied entry into Indonesian territory.
However, the repatriation process was not immediate, as the individual initially refused to be sent back to Ethiopia. SMY was subsequently held in the Holding Room at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport while awaiting the repatriation process.
“Because he initially refused to be sent back to Ethiopia, his repatriation required direct escort from the Indonesian NCB Interpol,” he said.
SMY was finally repatriated on Tuesday (15/09/2026) in the early hours via Etihad Airways flight EY479 via Abu Dhabi, followed by flight EY727 to Addis Ababa. The flight was scheduled to board at 00:25 WITA under the direct escort of the Indonesian NCB Interpol.
Novyandri stated that this success underscores the commitment of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office to maintaining Indonesia’s territorial sovereignty while supporting international law enforcement cooperation.
“This is clear evidence of the synergy between Ngurah Rai Immigration and the Indonesian NCB Interpol in detecting and acting upon the presence of transnational fugitives. Our immigration surveillance system works strictly from arrival to departure, so as soon as an Interpol hit is detected, we immediately coordinate and take action according to procedure,” he explained.
Novyandri emphasised that Immigration will continue to strengthen collaboration with the Indonesian National Police’s International Police Cooperation Division (Divhubinter), NCB Interpol Indonesia, and other relevant agencies. This measure aims to ensure that I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport remains a secure gateway for the country, protecting against foreign traffic that could potentially threaten legal order at both national and international levels.