Bali Immigration Repatriates Ethiopian National Flagged in Interpol Notice

Denpasar — Bali’s Ngurah Rai Special Class I Immigration Office repatriated an Ethiopian national, identified by the initials SMY, after officers flagged him as a subject of an Interpol Red Notice in a fraud case, according to two independent reports published on 18 September 2026.

The man, who is 29, was first detected on 6 September 2026 when he arrived at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on a Scoot Tigerair flight, according to MetroTV News and Bali JPNN. Officers then checked immigration records and found his name in Interpol’s hit list with a fraud-related offence code.

The immigration office coordinated with Indonesia’s National Central Bureau of Interpol and decided to deny him entry, the reports said. He was held at the airport while officials arranged his return.

According to the reports, SMY was repatriated to Ethiopia on 15 September 2026 under escort from NCB Interpol Indonesia. The flight route was reported as Denpasar-Abu Dhabi-Addis Ababa on Etihad Airways.

The reports said the Red Notice was linked to a fraud case in Ethiopia with reported losses of 46.4 million Ethiopian birr, or about Rp5 billion. They also said the notice had been issued on 9 April 2026.

What authorities said

Ngurah Rai Immigration head Muhamad Novyandri said the office acted after confirming SMY’s status in the Interpol system, according to MetroTV News and Bali JPNN. The action was framed as an immigration enforcement measure, not a criminal prosecution in Indonesia.

Interpol defines a Red Notice as a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action. A Red Notice is not a conviction.

The case highlights coordination between Bali immigration and Indonesian police channels handling cross-border law enforcement matters, according to the reports.

Sources

• MetroTV News
• Bali JPNN