March 11, 2026 | 10:18 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) is still pursuing a person with the initals 'S', a Russian woman suspected of being the mastermind behind the drug laboratory in Bali. The laboratory previously produced the drug known as mephedrone. Meanwhile, officers had previously detained two foreign nationals who managed the laboratory.
Acting Deputy for Eradication of BNN, Brigadier General Roy Hardi Siahaan, said that BNN will put S's name on the Wanted List (DPO) after investigators obtain sufficient information about her identity and whereabouts. Officers also need to coordinate with the Russian Embassy in Indonesia. "We will issue a DPO once we have obtained the address and identity of the person after the examination of the two suspects is completed and after coordination with the Russian representatives in Indonesia," he said when contacted on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
Roy explained that investigators will follow up on the issuance of a DPO status for S after completing the examination of the two suspects. According to him, the two suspects were still not fully open when answering the investigators' questions.
Previously, the BNN had arrested two Russian nationals who managed the mephedrone manufacturing laboratory. The two suspects were a woman with the initials 'NT' and a man with the initials 'ST'.
Roy said they used different identities and often moved between villas while in Bali. NT and ST were known to have entered Indonesia since January 2026.
Roy revealed that the total evidence of seized mephedrone reached 7.3 kilograms in gross. The perpetrators imported the raw materials for the drug from China.
BNN began investigating this case in January 2026 after officers found suspicious package shipments from China through the post office in Gianyar, Bali, using fake sender data.
On Thursday, March 5, 2026, the joint team finally arrested NT at a villa in the District of Sukawati, Gianyar Regency, Bali. From this location, officers found vehicle keys and other villa keys, which led to the development of the investigation.
The officers then searched a city car and found various items suspected to be used to produce mephedrone. These items included white jerrycans, blue jerrycans containing ethyl acetate, a clothing box containing two glass bottles happy growth, 96 percent alcohol, a jerrycan containing liquid, green mineral bottles, a glass bottle methylamine, filters, tin bottles, and AG+ silver bottles.
Based on these findings, officers developed the investigation on Friday, March 6, 2026, around 01:00 WITA (Central Indonesian Time) in one of the villas in the Blahbatuh area, Gianyar, Bali. At this location, officers found various materials and equipment of a clandestine laboratory.
The officers found a blue plastic containing citric acid, an orange container containing cloth, a white bag containing liquid jerricans, jerricans containing yellow and brown liquid, a brown bottle dichloromethane, and several other jerricans containing other liquids. In addition, the officers also found glasses and plastic containing residues, plates containing residues, clips containing white crystal mephedrone, a green lidded basin containing brown liquid, a brown bottle hydrobromic acid, a jerrican containing clear liquid, filter paper containing residues, and a green bucket containing brown liquid.
Rofiqi Hasan contributed to the writing this article.
Read: Two Russians Arrested in Bali for Running Mephedrone Drug Lab
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