Ukrainian man sentenced to life in Bali drug case

DENPASAR, Indonesia — A Ukrainian man arrested in Thailand and extradited to Indonesia after seven months on the run was convicted Thursday of producing illegal drugs on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali and sentenced to life in prison. Roman Nazarenko, 40, became a suspect after police raided a villa in May 2024 and found a basement lab to grow marijuana and produce a precursor of the synthetic drug ecstasy.

As a fugitive listed by Interpol, Nazarenko was arrested in December at Bangkok's international airport while he tried to flee to Dubai. He sat silently as a panel of three judges at Denpasar District Court handed down the verdict Thursday. “There is no reason to forgive or justify the defendant, he deserves to be punished commensurate with what he has done,” presiding Judge Eni Martiningrum said. “His crime could damage the mental state of the young generation.” Prosecutors said Nazarenko recruited the others for the ring, provided equipment, brought marijuana seeds from abroad and oversaw operations of the drug lab.

In January, the same court sentenced two Ukrainian brothers, Mykyta Volovod and Ivan Volovod, and a Russian man, Konstantin Krutz, to 20 years in prison each. They had been arrested during the raid on the villa. Prosecutors said the Volovod brothers were accused of being drugmakers and Krutz was accused of selling the drugs. The court’s indictments also allege that the group coordinated through a network in which hydroponic marijuana and mephedrone were produced for sale to users via couriers and ride-hailing services.

Prosecutors said that Nazarenko had recruited the others for Oleg Tkachuck, the Russian man identified by authorities as the overall mastermind of the operation, who remains at large. The case details describe payments and procurement that wired money through the Telegram messaging app and cryptocurrency; Tkachuck allegedly paid the Ukraine-based team and others to install equipment, supply seeds, and oversee the drug-lab production.

The payments outlined by prosecutors included about $30,000 paid in September 2023 to install equipment at the Bali villa, plus $3,000 for 10 kilograms of dried marijuana and $10,000 for 1 kilogram of mephedrone that the group produced for sale to users. Officials said the transactions were conducted through online channels, reflecting how modern drug rings operate across borders.

Nazarenko, who testified that he expressed remorse during his trial, argued that he had been tricked into joining the drug ring by Tkachuck and that he did not know how the lab worked. Prosecutors asserted that he was one of the ring’s leaders, providing the core equipment and oversight and bringing seeds from abroad to sustain the operation. The trial record portrays a coordinated effort in which foreign nationals from two countries embroiled in wartime conflict collaborated in Bali’s illicit drug enterprise.

Bali has long drawn visitors from Russia and Ukraine, and authorities say the island has become a magnet for war’s displaced populations from both countries since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, Russian visitors have surged. Marthinus Hukom, head of Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency, called the phenomenon “very unique,” noting that Russians and Ukrainians had partnered in crime on the island. Government data show that the number of Russian tourists visiting Bali rose from 57,860 in 2022 to 180,215 by the end of 2024. Bali Police Chief Daniel Adityajaya said the number of Russians accused of crimes in Bali in 2023 was 28, a nearly five-fold increase from 2022, including offenses such as kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking and disrespecting Balinese culture.

The case illustrates how cross-border criminal networks can operate in popular destinations, even as authorities at the local level intensify crackdowns. While Nazarenko will serve a life sentence in Indonesia, prosecutors say the broader network involved in this Bali operation remains under investigation, and at least several participants who were arrested in the villa raid earlier this year have been convicted. Officials stressed that the fight against illegal drug production and distribution on Bali remains a priority as the island continues to balance its role as a major tourist hub with the need to safeguard public safety and local culture.

Nazarenko’s case is a reminder of how blurred lines can appear when conflicts intensify far from home, yet have tangible consequences in tourist economies. The authorities say that, despite the bleak picture, Bali’s law enforcement community will continue pursuing drug rings that exploit the island’s popularity and global connectivity. The broader investigation into Oleg Tkachuck’s network remains ongoing, with law enforcement authorities seeking to dismantle the entire operation and hold all those involved to account.