In a shocking incident that unfolded on January 23, 2024, in Bali, Indonesia, a villa near Kuta became the scene of a harrowing robbery and shooting involving four Mexican men suspected to be affiliated with a cartel and a Turkish tourist named Turan Mehmet.
The perpetrators, armed with Indonesian-made guns, unleashed chaos, leaving Mehmet critically wounded and prompting an urgent police response. The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of three suspects at a villa in Ungasan and the capture of the fourth in Nganjuk, as he attempted to escape. As the details of this crime emerge, it not only highlights the perilous encounter between Mexican criminals and a tourist in Bali but also raises questions about the broader issues of security and tourism in the popular Indonesian destination.
The Motive
The motive of the Mexican cartel that killed the Turkish tourist in Bali was robbery. They wanted to steal money and valuables from the villa where the tourist and his friends were staying. They prepared guns and surveilled the villa before breaking in and shooting at the guests. They managed to escape with $5,900 in cash and a cell phone, but they also left behind bullets and bullet casings that led the police to track them down.
Three of them were arrested at another villa in Ungasan, and the fourth one was caught in Nganjuk, where he tried to board a bus. The police are still looking for the guns that were used in the robbery and investigating the background of the suspects, who are believed to be part of a Mexican cartel.
How did the Mexican gang enter Bali?
The Mexican gangster entered Bali as tourists. They had been staying at a villa in Ungasan village of Badung district since Dec. 7, 2020, using fake passports. They were not on the immigration blacklist or the Interpol red notice list, so they managed to enter the country without being detected. They also rented a car and a motorcycle to move around the island. The police are still investigating how they obtained the guns and the bullets that they used in the robbery.
The Cronological Story:
- On January 22, 2024, around 10 p.m., four Mexican men, Aramburo Contreras Jose Alfonso, Mayorouin Escobedo Juan Antonio, Deraz Gonzales Victor Eduardo, and Sicairos Valdes Roberto, went to scout a villa near Kuta, where a Turkish tourist, Turan Mehmet, and his friends were staying.
- On January 23, 2024, around 1 a.m., the four men returned to the villa, armed with three guns. They pointed their guns at a security guard and forced him to surrender. They then broke into the villa and shot at the guests who tried to escape. They stole $5,900 in cash and a cell phone from the villa. They also wounded Mehmet in his stomach, left hand, and back chest.
- On January 27, 2024, the police identified the four suspects based on CCTV footage and witness accounts. They tracked them down to another villa in Ungasan, where they had been staying since December 7, 2020 as tourists. They arrested three of them, Alfonso, Antonio, and Eduardo, while Roberto managed to escape.
- On January 29, 2024, the police announced the arrest of the three suspects and displayed the evidence they found, including four bullets, four bullet casings, and four projectiles. They also revealed that the bullets were made by PT Pindad, an Indonesian state-owned company that produces firearms and ammunition.
- On January 30, 2024, the police said they were still looking for the fourth suspect, Roberto, and the guns that were used in the robbery. They also said they were investigating the motive and the background of the suspects, who were believed to be part of a Mexican cartel.
- On February 1, 2024, the police announced that they had arrested Roberto in Nganjuk, East Java, after he tried to board a bus at a terminal. They said they had coordinated with the Mexican embassy and Interpol to verify the identities and criminal records of the suspects.
Mexican Cartel Ties
The Head of Public Relations of the Bali Regional Police, Commissioner Pol Jansen Avitus Panjaitan, stated that the police are yet to confirm whether the four Mexican gangsters responsible for shooting a Turkish national are part of a cartel network. Jansen mentioned that the investigation is still ongoing, and it remains uncertain if they have cartel connections, with the central police (Bareskrim Polri) providing support.
The initial arrests occurred on January 27, 2024, when three Mexican nationals involved in the shooting and robbery of the Turkish national were apprehended in Ungasan, South Kuta District, Bali. The arrested individuals were Aramburo Contreras Jose Alfonso (32 years old), Mayorquin Eacobedo Juan Antonio (24 years old), and Deraz Gonzalez Victor Eduardo (36 years old). Subsequently, on January 30, 2024, another suspect, Sicairos Valdes Roberto, was captured at the Nganjuk Bus Terminal in East Java, adding to the ongoing investigation
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