JAKARTA: Bali immigration authorities have detained 13 foreign nationals in sweeping operations targeting alleged prostitution in three popular tourist areas in the resort island, an immigration official has said.
According to Muhamad Novyandri, head of the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport Immigration Office, the Sept. 17 operations targeted properties in the popular tourist hubs of Umalas, Seminyak and Canggu following tip-offs from the public and monitoring of online platforms.
"We detained 12 women and one man from Nigeria, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan," Novyandri said on Sept. 18.
In Canggu, officers found a Russian woman, identified only by her initials IP, at a villa where she was suspected of misusing her immigration permit to operate as a sex worker, with bookings allegedly arranged through WhatsApp, Novyandri said.
Further investigation led officers to an apartment, where a Ukrainian man, identified only as OG, was detained for allegedly facilitating the activity.
In Seminyak, officers raided a villa on Jl. Bidadari after tracking an online platform advertising sex work at the property, detaining three Nigerian women identified only as JFP, ECM and HOU.
All three had overstayed their stay permits by between 58 and 134 days, according to officials.
In Umalas, officers raided a villa after tracking commercial sex advertisements on a Telegram channel, detaining three Russian women, identified only as DK, AG and KS, and a Kazakhstani woman, identified only as AS.
In a second raid in the same area, authorities detained four Nigerian women, identified only as HBO, MOL, GO and TE, on suspicion of involvement in prostitution.
Officials said the foreigners allegedly charged up to 13.9 million rupiah (US$777) an hour, advertising their services through WhatsApp, Telegram and specialised websites.
They had been conducting the illicit activity on the island for three to six months, primarily targeting foreign tourists.
Investigations revealed that the group had entered Bali on a range of visas. While most held standard visitor permits or visas on arrival (VoA), others held remote worker or investor residence permits (KITAS), and one held a D12 pre-investment visa.
The 13 foreign nationals were charged under Article 75 of the 2011 Immigration Law, which carries penalties of deportation and a five-year re-entry ban.
Authorities said further investigations were ongoing to determine if any of the suspects would face separate criminal charges.
Head of the Bali Immigration Office, Ramdhani, said the sweeping operations reflected the agency's commitment to maintaining security and upholding local cultural values in Bali.
"We fully support Bali tourism, but we have zero tolerance for foreign nationals who abuse their visas, break the law or tarnish Bali's image," he said.
Balinese officials have raised growing concerns over unruly behaviour by foreign tourists, following a series of deportations over public indecency and the production of pornographic content that violate local Hindu customs.
Earlier this month, a 28-year-old Australian man was deported after CCTV footage captured him committing a public sex act in the yard of a residence in North Kuta.
Last month, immigration authorities deported a 30-year-old French citizen, identified only as LR, over allegations that the individual had produced pornographic content in Bali and uploaded it to OnlyFans.
The case followed the arrest in March of two French nationals and an Italian citizen who were also accused of producing and distributing pornographic videos in Bali.
The crackdown has also involved high-profile social media personalities.
In December of last year, Bali immigration authorities imposed a 10-year entry ban on British adult-content creator Bonnie Blue following her deportation over material that officials said could cause "public outrage". - Jakarta Post/ANN
