JakartaPost/Antara-July 17, 2025
The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) revealed that Bali has become a major hot spot for transnational drug trafficking, warning that syndicates are using increasingly sophisticated methods to evade capture and have begun setting up drug production facilities on the island. BNN chief Comr. Gen. Marthinus Hukom said that international drug dealers are now using blockchain technology and cryptocurrency to conduct transactions in Bali. Blockchain and cryptocurrency allow users to carry out anonymous and decentralized financial transactions, making it harder for authorities to trace the flow of money. “They use messaging apps like Telegram to communicate with buyers, then send coordinates for pick-up locations, eliminating the need for face-to-face contact with dealers or couriers. These transactions can take as little as two minutes and are extremely difficult for authorities to trace,” Marthinus said on Tuesday, as quoted by Antaranews. These syndicates have also established hidden drug laboratories and indoor cannabis farms in Bali, carrying out their illicit activities primarily in rented villas. Marthinus also warned that Bali may be turning into a “killing ground” for members of transnational drug syndicates. He pointed to the recent shooting of two Australian men in Badung regency last month, which he suspects is linked to international drug trafficking networks. According to Marthinus, several major transnational drug syndicates are currently operating in Bali. These include Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle, which spans northern Myanmar and parts of Laos and Thailand, and the Golden Crescent, a network stretching across Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. Authorities have also discovered that the Sinaloa Cartel from Mexico, considered the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the Western Hemisphere, recently began operations in Bali. Marthinus explained that the Sinaloa Cartel’s expansion into Bali was driven by a stronger crackdown on international drug cartels in the United States under President Donald Trump, which forced the group to seek new markets. He noted that the cartel primarily traffics drugs into Bali by air. Read more at:
