Ukrainian and Russian citizens have established a secret drug laboratory (clandestine lab) in a villa located in the Canggu area of Badung, Bali. They are known to market their drugs through a dark net forum, dispersing it at various street corners across Bali. “It is marketed through the dark web, via the internet. It is placed in several locations,” said Komjen Wahyu Widada, Chief of the Indonesian National Police Criminal Investigation Agency in Bali, on Tuesday (14/5/2024).
Komjen Wahyu revealed that the network, which calls itself ‘Hydra Indonesia,’ employs digital technology throughout the production, distribution, and transaction phases, both in the real and digital worlds.
“The marketing is done using the ‘Hydra Indonesia’ network through the darknetforum2road.cc via Telegram Bot. Several Telegram groups include Bali Hydra Bot, Cannashop Robot, Bali Cristal Bot, Hydra Indonesia Manager, and Mentor Cannashop,” added Wahyu.
Separately, Brigadier General Mukti Juharsa from the Criminal Investigation Agency mentioned that the ‘Hydra Indonesia’ network places these codes at various street corners in Bali. They affix dark net forum signs on walls using Pylox paint. “(The secret codes) are there, they are. Try looking up to Ubud, it’s on the walls,” said Mukti. The codes consist of the website link darknetforum2road.cc and are placed on several building walls at different points along the roads in the Canggu area.
To the general public, these covert codes may appear ordinary. However, upon closer examination, it turns out that these codes link to websites promoting marijuana and mephedrone.
The codes are also placed inside the secret drug lab of the ‘Hydra Indonesia’ network, located in the basement of a villa in the Canggu area, Badung, Bali. The lab covers an area of approximately 180 square meters.
There are three foreign nationals arrested in this case, comprising two Ukrainians and one Russian. The suspects, Ivan Volovod and Mikhayla Volovod, are twins and play dual roles as concocters and controllers.
“Both of them (IV and MV) act as controllers of the clandestine laboratory at Villa Sunny, Badung, Bali. They also produce, control, and concoct,” said Wahyu. Meanwhile, the suspect Konstantin Krutz acts as a distributor marketing the hydroponic marijuana and mephedrone produced by the two Ukrainians. This network has set up a secret drug lab in the villa’s basement. There, they produce mephedrone and hydroponic marijuana.
In this case, the Criminal Investigation Agency seized numerous pieces of evidence including an ecstasy press, 9.7 kilograms of hydroponic marijuana, 437 grams of mephedrone, hundreds of kilograms of various types of precursor chemicals for the production of mephedrone and hydroponic marijuana, as well as various drug lab equipment.
Additionally, 382.19 grams of marijuana, 484.92 grams of hashish, 107.95 grams of cocaine, and 247.33 grams of mephedrone were seized.
“The estimated value of all the drug evidence secured in this arrest is around Rp 11.5 billion. But that’s excluding the raw materials. If those were processed, it would be even greater,” he continued. For their actions, the suspects are charged under Article 114 paragraph (2) subsidiary to Article 113 paragraph (2), Article 112 paragraph (2), more subsidiary to Article 129 letter A, and Article 111 paragraph (2) juncto Article 132 paragraph (1) of Law No. 35 of 2009 on Narcotics, with a minimum penalty of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum of the death penalty, plus a minimum fine of Rp 1 billion and a maximum of Rp 10 billion.
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