Bali Immigration Detains 13 Foreign Nationals over Suspected Prostitution

Denpasar — Immigration officials in Bali have detained 13 foreign nationals in a joint operation targeting suspected prostitution and visa abuse in Canggu, Seminyak and Umalas on Thursday night, 17 September 2026, according to statements by the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office and local media reports.

The detainees, consisting of 12 women and one man, were taken to the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office in Badung for further questioning on immigration and possible criminal offenses.

Raids in three tourism areas

According to the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, the joint operation involved officers from the immigration office, the Bali regional office of the Directorate General of Immigration and the Bali Regional Police.

Officials said the operation began around 17:00 WITA on 17 September and focused on foreign nationals suspected of misusing residence permits to work in the commercial sex trade.

In Canggu, officers detained a Russian woman identified by the initials IP and a Ukrainian man identified as OG. Immigration authorities alleged that IP had used a remote worker residence permit to work as a sex worker, taking bookings through online messaging applications, while OG allegedly acted as a facilitator.

In Seminyak, the joint team traced an online platform allegedly promoting prostitution services to a villa on Jalan Bidadari, where three Nigerian women were detained. Officials said the three were on expired visit permits issued under an internship programme and had overstayed, with reported overstay periods of 58, 94 and 134 days.

In Umalas, information gathered from online platforms and messaging channels led officers to detain eight women: four Nigerian nationals, three Russian nationals and one Kazakh national, who were suspected of misusing their residence permits for sex work.

Local coverage citing immigration information reported the breakdown of nationalities among the 13 detainees as seven Nigerians, four Russians, one Kazakh and one Ukrainian.

Legal basis and possible sanctions

Muhamad Novyandri, head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, said the foreign nationals are suspected of violating Article 75 of Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration, which allows administrative measures against foreigners whose presence is considered to endanger public order or security.

Novyandri said the detainees face potential immigration sanctions including deportation combined with a five-year entry ban, as well as possible criminal prosecution under applicable regulations.

He stated that all 13 foreign nationals are currently undergoing further examination at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office regarding their identities, travel documents, residence permits and initial statements, and that the cases may be forwarded for criminal investigation depending on the findings.

Reports in Indonesian media quoting immigration and police sources said law enforcement is assessing whether some of the suspects could face criminal charges related to facilitating prostitution or involvement in trafficking networks, in addition to immigration violations.

Novyandri and Ramdhani, head of the Bali regional office of the Directorate General of Immigration, both said the operation followed public tip-offs and online monitoring, and stressed that while authorities support tourism, they will act against foreign nationals who abuse residence permits or engage in unlawful activities.

Sources

• RRI English - As Many as 13 Foreign Nationals Detained in Bali Sex Work Crackdown
• Bali Discovery - Immigration Arrest 13 Foreigners in Bali Suspected to be Involved in Prostitution
• Tempo English - Bali Immigration Detains 13 Foreign Nationals Over Suspected Prostitution
• Directorate General of Immigration (Indonesia) – Press section / Ngurah Rai Immigration secures 13 foreigners
• IDN Times - Imigrasi Tangkap 13 WNA Diduga Terkait Kasus Prostitusi di Bali
• Bali Post - Platform Daring Jadi Alat Praktik Prostitusi, 13 WNA Diamankan di Bali
• CNN Indonesia - Terlibat Prostitusi, 13 WN Nigeria hingga Rusia Ditangkap di Bali
• Detik Bali - 13 WNA Ditangkap Terlibat Prostitusi di Bali
• JPNN Bali - Detik-detik Imigrasi Bali Ciduk 13 WNA Jaringan Prostitusi, Jual Diri Lewat WA
• Okezone - 13 WNA Ditangkap di Bali, Diduga Jual Jasa Seks Lewat Medsos