Enforcement officers from the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN), in cooperation with officials from the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Customs and Excise office, arrested three Russian nationals suspected of being linked to an international drug network in Bangli Regency, Bali, on Friday, 05 June 2026.
The three Russian nationals, Sergei Khlebushchev (male-39) and Kira Kochetkova (female-51), and a third man, were taken into custody. The two were apprehended in connection with the importation of 7.8 kilograms of hashish after a police pursuit that took place in which shots were fired on Jalan Nusantara, Bangli-Kintamani, in Banjar Kuta Undisan, Bangli.
Under police surveillance since their arrival in Gilimanuk, Bali, the two were followed as they drove a red Toyota Raize (DK 1369 FBG) from Gilimanuk to Bangli.
Apparently, the two Russians realized they were being discreetly followed by police when they entered Bangli Regency and, as a result, increased their speed to evade arrest. A high-speed chase ensued in which local vehicles and pedestrians were struck, ending with police firing shots at the car that brought the escape attempt to an abrupt end near Kayubihi Villang in Bangli.
A 71-year-old female traditional porridge vendor, Ni Wayan Sudarmi, was struck by a car driven by Russians. The woman suffered injuries to both knees and was treated in the Emergency Room of the Bangli Regional Hospital.
Three female motorcyclists – Ni Nengah Koplin (56), I Wayan Sudiana (57), and Ni Ketut Sadri (50).were slightly injured and treated at the hospital when they were struck by the Toyota Raize
Determined to end the car chase and prevent further injuries to the general public, police fired several shots into the fleeing vehicle, bringing it to a halt on Jalan Danau Buyan, Kayubihi Village, in Bangli. Police managed to force the men to disembark their car and placed handcuffs on the two as they sat on the side of the roadway.
Police later brought the couple and their damaged, bullet-ridden vehicle to the police headquarters for further handling. Police also seized passports from the two, hand phones, and the bullet-ridden vehicle used in the police chase.
Police link the arrests in Bali to the seizure of a suitcase in Jakarta by Customs and Excise Officials containing hashish sent from Thailand, but destined for the Bali drug trade.
The drugs were transported from Jakarta to Bali in a rented vehicle, crossing from Java to Bali by ferry from Ketapang to Gilimanuk.