DENPASAR, DEWATA.NEWS – Bali Police say their foreign visitor monitoring system, known as Cakrawasi (Cakra Pengawasan Orang Asing), has played a role in assisting investigations involving foreign nationals, including a recent kidnapping case linked to a Nigerian suspect.
According to authorities, the system helped investigators track the movements of a Nigerian national identified as C, who is suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of a Ukrainian citizen in the Jimbaran area of South Kuta.
Ketut Yudi Mahendra Putra, an officer from Sub-Directorate IV of the Intelligence and Security Directorate at Bali Police, said the digital monitoring platform helped officers identify the suspect’s previous accommodation records.
“In the latest case, there was a Nigerian foreign national (C) who used a fake passport in the kidnapping case involving a Ukrainian citizen,” Yudi said at Bali Police headquarters on Friday (March 13).
He explained that the investigation began when officers from another region asked Bali Police to verify the identity of a person believed to be connected to the case. Authorities then checked the Cakrawasi database to trace the suspect’s movements.
“Our colleagues from another region asked about the identity. We checked the Cakrawasi system and found a tracking record showing he had stayed at a villa. The data recorded in our database was based on the passport information reported by the accommodation provider,” Yudi said.
Using the information, investigators were able to follow the suspect’s movements and develop the case further.
Police previously arrested the suspect in West Nusa Tenggara on Monday (February 23). He is believed to have rented a vehicle using a fake passport on behalf of another party.
Authorities suspect the rented vehicle was later used by the perpetrators to transport and detain the victim, identified by the initials IK, a Ukrainian national who was reportedly kidnapped in the Jimbaran area.
Police say systems like Cakrawasi are essential to monitor foreign nationals staying in Bali. Under Indonesian regulations, accommodation providers hosting foreign visitors are required to report guest data to authorities.
“The law clearly states that anyone who provides accommodation to foreign tourists must report it immediately. This helps us monitor their activities and conduct early detection of potential criminal suspects,” Yudi explained.
However, authorities acknowledge that one of the main challenges remains the large number of accommodations used by foreign nationals that are not officially registered.
“One of the challenges we face in Bali is that many residences used by foreigners are not officially recorded,” he said.
If foreign visitors refuse to provide personal information citing privacy concerns, police say the responsibility still lies with the accommodation provider to report the data.
“The obligation to provide information lies with the party providing accommodation. They are responsible for reporting it, and there are sanctions if they fail to do so,” Yudi added.
Under Indonesia’s Immigration Law No. 63 of 2024, failure to report foreign guests can result in criminal penalties of up to three months in prison or a fine of up to IDR 25 million.
Police said that more than 6,000 accommodations across Bali have already submitted foreign guest data through the Cakrawasi system.
Authorities encourage all accommodation providers, including villas, homestays, rental houses, and boarding houses to register and report foreign guests through the Cakrawasi platform to improve monitoring and public safety.