Bali immigration raids detain 13 foreigners suspected of prostitution schemes

On the night of September 17, immigration officials in Bali conducted coordinated raids in the districts of Canggu, Seminyak and Umalas, detaining a total of 13 foreign nationals—12 women and one man—on allegations of prostitution-related activities and visa misuse. In Canggu, a Russian woman identified as IP and a Ukrainian man identified as OG were seized; IP allegedly worked as a sex worker via WhatsApp while OG was accused of facilitating the operation.

Seminyak raids uncovered an online platform promoting prostitution, leading to the arrest of three Nigerian women whose internship visas had expired. In Umalas, four women, including three Russians and one Kazakh, were detained, followed by four additional Nigerian women suspected of similar permit abuse. The operation, prompted by public tips and online investigations, cites violations of Article 75 of the 2011 Immigration Law, with potential outcomes of deportation, a five-year ban and criminal prosecution. Ramdhani, head of Bali's Immigration Directorate General regional office, emphasized the need to protect Bali's tourism image by preventing permit abuse.