JAKARTA: A Russian influencer in Bali has claimed he was kidnapped and robbed of his cryptocurrency holdings by another Russian, the latest in a series of violent incidents involving foreigners on the popular resort island.
Bali Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Ariasandy said the incident occurred on Saturday (Oct 18) at around 10:30pm when the victim, identified as Sergei Domogatskii, was riding a motorcycle near Sanur Beach, a well-known tourist area.
“Suddenly, an Alphard car stopped in front of him. Two men wearing black ski masks got out of the car and forced him inside,” Ariasandy said on Tuesday, as quoted by Kompas.com.
According to Sergei’s statement to police, he was taken to a house in the Jimbaran area of South Kuta, where he was allegedly beaten and tased by his abductors.
The assailants then forced him to hand over his mobile phone and transfer approximately US$4,600 worth of cryptocurrency to their accounts. Sergei further claimed that three additional perpetrators arrived later and demanded a ransom of $1 million, which he said he could not pay.
He was eventually released several hours later in a field near the Apurva Kempinski Hotel in South Kuta. He sustained injuries to his right arm as a result of the attack.
Sergei reported the alleged kidnapping to the police the following day. Ariasandy said the police have launched an investigation into the case.
Sergei, known online as Mr Terimakasih (meaning “thank you” in Indonesian), is a popular influencer with around 7.3 million followers on Instagram. He frequently posts content highlighting charity and environmental work across Indonesia, appealing mainly to an Indonesian audience.
He also manages another Instagram account targeting Russian followers, where he discusses real estate and business topics, attracting an additional 1.1 million followers.
Following his police report, Sergei was later reported to the Bali Police by 12 foreign nationals. He faces multiple allegations, including investment fraud amounting to tens of billions of rupiah and defamation. Sergei has issued a statement denying the accusations, asserting that he has never committed any fraud.
Bali has experienced a troubling rise in violent crimes committed by foreign nationals in recent years, amid a surge in overtourism on the island.
In December of last year, a 48-year-old Ukrainian man, identified only by his initials IL, was allegedly kidnapped and robbed in Kuta, a tourist hot spot in Badung regency.
IL and his 49-year-old driver were on Jl. Penyu Dipal when a black SUV blocked their way while another blocked the rear. Nine men in ski masks wearing black vests marked “Polisi” (police) and armed with guns, knives and hammers emerged from the two vehicles and forced IL and his driver out of their car.
The group allegedly assaulted the pair before handcuffing and blindfolding them and then taking them to a nearby villa where they forced IL to transfer US$214,400 in cryptocurrency to specific accounts.
Police said the perpetrators have since fled Indonesia and that a red notice has been issued through Interpol for their arrest.
On June 14, Australian national Zivan Radmanovic, 32, was fatally shot shortly after midnight when two armed assailants stormed his villa in Bali’s Badung regency and opened fire. Another Australian, Sanar Ghanim, 34, who was at the scene, sustained gunshot wounds during the attack.
The Bali Police later arrested three Australian men, Darcy Francesco Jenson, 27, Mevlut Coskun, 22, and Tupou Pasa I. Midolmore, 26, in connection with the killing. The suspects are currently awaiting trial and have been charged with premeditated murder, a crime that carries the death penalty under Indonesian law. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
