BADUNG, DEWATA.NEWS – Eighteen foreign nationals detained in connection with an alleged pornography case in Pererenan have been handed over to Immigration authorities for further examination on Friday evening, 5 December. They will undergo immigration questioning while awaiting the results of a cybercrime investigation.
Police spokesperson Aiptu Ni Nyoman Ayu Inastuti confirmed the transfer on Saturday, 6 December. “All of them were handed over, from the 14 witnesses to the four foreign nationals suspected of being involved,” she said.
According to Inastuti, immigration screening is necessary to clarify each individual’s legal status during their stay in Bali. For now, their status remains as witnesses, while investigators from the Badung Criminal Investigation Unit continue assessing potential criminal violations.
“No one has been released, they were only transferred to Immigration,” she emphasized.
The case began when a joint team from the Badung Criminal Investigation Unit and Immigration raided a studio in Pererenan, Mengwi, on Thursday, 4 December. Officers detained 18 foreign nationals, including several content creators, on suspicion of involvement in producing or distributing explicit material.
Those initially detained as witnesses include JM (24), MT (27), BS (27), MP (40), PR (37), TL (25), BL (26), TR (25), AAG (20), BS (19), KM (22), MM (21), CC (19), and KR (24). They have since been allowed to return while retaining their witness status.
Four others, identified as TEB alias BB (26), a British female content creator, JJTW (28), an Australian male; and LJA (27) and INL (24), both British males, remain under intensive examination at the Badung Police.
These four individuals are being questioned on suspicion of violating Indonesia’s laws on pornography and the electronic distribution or accessibility of content deemed obscene.
Authorities confirmed that some of the witnesses are Australian nationals. The investigation is ongoing, with Immigration and police coordinating to determine whether any administrative or criminal actions will follow.