Russian National Kidnapped in Bali, Forced to Reveal Crypto Account

A Russian national, identified by the initials AI (41), has reported to police that he was kidnapped by unknown individuals in Bali. The victim stated he was assaulted and forced to hand over his cryptocurrency account details before being abandoned by the perpetrators. According to AI’s account, he was returning home from his workplace at the Hedonist Restaurant in Badung on Thursday evening (2/7/2026) when a black car intercepted him on Jalan Uluwatu at around 9.35 pm local time. Two hooded individuals then abducted him. ‘The two masked perpetrators handcuffed the victim with plastic handcuffs and covered his head,’ said the Head of Public Relations for the Bali Regional Police, Commissioner Ariasandy, on Thursday (9/7/2026). Following the abduction, AI was taken to a two-storey house and placed in a room he described as resembling a cell. He was held hostage there for approximately 30 hours, during which he was beaten and kicked to force him to surrender the password to his cryptocurrency account. In addition to the physical assault, the perpetrators took the victim’s mobile phone and the keys to his villa. They subsequently entered the victim’s villa and seized another phone containing the crypto account password. The victim was then abandoned on Jalan Prabu Udayana, Jimbaran, in the early hours of Saturday (4/7/2026) at 4.00 am local time. Following his release, AI immediately sought medical attention at the State University Hospital of Udayana University. ‘The victim was abandoned near the Unud Hospital and immediately received treatment in the emergency room,’ Ariasandy added. The Bali Regional Police are currently investigating the report. An analysis of cell dump data, tracking the victim’s mobile phone activity during the incident, is underway, along with a review of CCTV footage from the crime scene. ‘We are still investigating this case. We will provide updates on developments later,’ Ariasandy concluded.