Two Russian nationals arrested for drug production in Bali; one former military intelligence officer

Two Russian nationals, Sergei Tras (ST) and Natalia Tomberg (NA), were arrested by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) for producing 7.3 kilograms of the drug mephedrone in Bali. Tras is a former member of Russian military intelligence, while Tomberg is a biology graduate.

“ST is a former Russian military intelligence officer. He is no longer in intelligence due to back health issues. As for NA, she studied Biology,” said Acting Deputy for Eradication Brigadier General Roy Hardi Siahaan at a press conference at a secret factory on Jalan Padat Karya, Blahbatuh District, Gianyar, on Saturday 7 March 2026.

Hardi said Tras first arrived in Bali in early January 2026. Armed with three passports under different names, he acted as the courier for the raw materials used to manufacture mephedrone, which had been imported from China. After receiving shipments of chemical liquids from China, those materials were delivered by Tras to a villa on Jalan Padat Karya. Natalia awaited there to process all the raw materials using equipment bought in Indonesia.

“Thus, the raw materials are turned into mephedrone. The drug itself does not have an Indonesian term because it had not circulated in Indonesia before,” Hardi said.

In the photo obtained, Natalia sits wearing a medical mask and a grey shirt. The brown-haired woman appears to bow her head as she is detained. Sergei wears a mask and a green T-shirt as he sits on a rattan chair at the raid site.

Hardi revealed that the chemical raw liquids imported from China were processed into mephedrone in powder and crystal form. The powder and crystals were essentially ready for consumption, though could be processed further into forms such as cocaine or ecstasy by users.

After processing into powder and crystals, NA then sold it to customers who were also Russian. The mephedrone was marketed through a selling account on the dark web.

“It is quite difficult for us to access NA’s darknet marketplace,” he said.

Hardi said Tras and Natalia did not know each other. They were pawns controlled by a Russian national initials SK. That individual is currently a fugitive and is suspected to be overseas.

“Not husband and wife. They did not know each other. But they could interact because they were controlled by SK,” Hardi said.

Hardi explained that Natalia was paid Rp 30 million and received free villa accommodation for two months in Gianyar. Meanwhile, Sergei did not receive payment; he was simply provided with a free villa in Sukawati.

Tomberg processed all the raw materials into mephedrone every day from around 00:00 local time to 04:00 local time. However, the villa on Jalan Padat Karya was not her residence.

Natalia was known to move between villas during her stay in Gianyar. She only came to the villa raided by police to process mephedrone.

“If Sergei, he only received shipments from China and then delivered them to this villa. He was not paid. He was only given a free villa,” he said.