Badung, Bali. Indonesian police have transferred three Australian nationals accused of a fatal shooting at a villa in Bali to state prosecutors on Wednesday, a major step toward trial in one of the island’s most high-profile criminal cases this year.

The suspects --Darcy Francesco Jenson, Tupau Pada Midolmore, and Coskun Mevlut-- were formally handed over to the Badung District Prosecutor’s Office under tight security. Heavily armed Brimob (mobile brigade) officers escorted the trio in two armored vehicles from police detention to the prosecutor’s office in Badung. Each suspect arrived handcuffed and shackled before being taken into custody for further legal processing.

Badung Police Chief M. Arief Batubara said investigators had completed the case files, which were declared legally sufficient for prosecution. “Today, we completed the second phase of the process. Both the suspects and the evidence have been handed over to the prosecutors,” Arief told reporters. “The suspects have been cooperative throughout the investigation.”

Badung District Chief Prosecutor Sutrisno Margi Utomo confirmed that his office would seek additional security during the upcoming trial, which will be held at the Denpasar District Court. “We have officially received the case files and custody of the suspects. Given the public attention, we’ve requested strong police security during the hearings to assure the public that Bali remains safe,” he said.

The three Australians are accused of involvement in a June 14, shooting at Villa Casta Santisya in Munggu, Badung. The attack killed Zivan Radmanovic, an Australian national, and injured another man, Sabar Ghanim, who sustained gunshot wounds.

Police allege that Jenson was the mastermind behind the crime, responsible for arranging accommodations, transportation, and purchasing a hammer used to break into the victims’ villa. Midolmore and Mevlut are accused of carrying out the attack.

As of this reporting, the motive behind the Bali villa shooting remains unclear and has not been publicly confirmed by Indonesian authorities. Police have charged the three Australian suspects with premeditated murder but said the motive is still under investigation. Bali police have also denied any links to drug gangs, saying there is no evidence of narcotics involvement in the case.

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