Tangerang. Indonesian police on Sunday detained a Ukrainian citizen following his arrest in Thailand for allegedly operating an illegal drug laboratory in Bali.

Roman Nazarenko was arrested by Thai authorities at U-Tapao Rayong International Airport in Thailand’s Rayong province on Thursday as he attempted to board a flight to Dubai, an Indonesian police officer said.

Following coordination with the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, Nazarenko was extradited to Indonesia and arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to Brig. Gen. Mukti Juharsa, director of the anti-narcotics division at the National Police headquarters.

“Upon the completion of his handover from the Thai security authorities, RN was immediately flown to Indonesia to face legal proceedings in accordance with existing laws,” Mukti said during a press conference at the airport, referring to the suspect by his initials. “He is the suspected mastermind of the drug lab.”

Nazarenko is accused of financing and managing a drug laboratory disguised as a villa in the Tibubeneng area, Badung Regency, Bali. The lab allegedly produced methamphetamines and cultivated cannabis using hydroponic techniques.

Indonesian police raided the villa in May, arresting three other foreigners involved in illicit drug manufacturing. The suspects had reportedly operated the clandestine lab at the villa for two years before the raid.

Authorities believe the operation was part of an international drug network, and investigations are ongoing to identify additional collaborators and trace the distribution of the drugs produced at the facility.

The investigation into the case dates back to September 2024 when police in Yogyakarta foiled an attempt to smuggle 25 kilograms of cannabis to the Netherlands. A further investigation led police to a villa in Bali where an international network secretly cultivated the cannabis.

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