Immigration officers, accompanied by Inteldakim intelligence personnel, carried out an early morning raid at a villa in Mengwi on Saturday, where several foreign women were reportedly operating an escort service.
According to authorities, the women appeared unprepared for the inspection, expecting clients rather than immigration officials at the door.
Authorities said the operation moved quickly, with officers proceeding directly to document checks, questioning and detention procedures.
A 22-year-old Russian national identified as E.D. and a 21-year-old Nigerian citizen identified as E.J.N. were taken into custody during the raid. Investigators suspect both women of providing escort and sexual services in Bali and allegedly using online platforms to find clients.
According to immigration officials, both women arrived in Bali in March and are now facing an ongoing investigation related to alleged immigration and prostitution-related violations.
In Renon, in the south of Denpasar, the “catch” was even more striking. There, in a hotel room, officers detained a 27-year-old Russian citizen sex worker (initials A.R.) together with a client. Her dubious career on the island ended almost before it began: she flew into Bali on 22 April. Only 10 days passed between landing and detention.
The method of detention, revealed by Denpasar immigration chief Hario Sakti, should make anyone involved in illegal work sit up and take notice. Officers no longer wait for complaints from neighbours. The agency now has a full cyber-monitoring unit. The system is simple: search for adverts on specialised websites, check the author’s details against the border-crossing database, and send a raid team to the confirmed address.
All three detainees are currently being held at the Denpasar detention centre. The outcome is predictable: deportation at their own expense, visa cancellation, and a lifetime (or very long) ban on entering Indonesia.
The island’s authorities have once again confirmed that in 2026 your digital footprint is the quickest route to deportation if what you’re doing doesn’t match your stated purpose of visit.
By the way, through Legal Indonesia you can apply for a digital nomad KITAS, which is currently the most popular way to legalise your stay on the island. For those who want to stay longer and work online in peace. But doing escort work on the Island of the Gods is not allowed even with it.
Sources: detik, kompas
Sources: detik, kompas
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