A Russian citizen accused of running an international narcotics operation in Bali is facing demands for a nine-year prison sentence from prosecutors who cited details of his alleged crimes during a hearing at Denpasar District Court.
Evgenii Karamyshev, 33, was charged with violating Article 114 paragraph (2) of Indonesia’s Narcotics Law for distributing Category I narcotics. Prosecutor Nyoman Tri Suryabuana told the court on Thursday that the evidence clearly established Karamyshev’s role in trafficking illicit drugs across borders.
“The prosecution demands that the defendant Evgenii Karamyshev be sentenced to nine years in prison, minus time already served,” the prosecutor said. The prosecution also asked the court to impose a fine of Rp1,5 billion, with an additional one-year prison term if the fine is unpaid.
Caught retrieving a hashish package
Karamyshev’s case began unraveling on 16 December 2024, when Bali’s National Narcotics Agency (BNNP) observed him collecting a suspicious package outside a Circle K convenience store on Jalan Raya Uluwatu in Jimbaran. The parcel, shipped from Thailand under the name Thitima Jaidee and addressed to a fictitious recipient, “Fred Williamson,” contained 21 blocks of hashish weighing 223,15 grams net.
According to prosecutors, Karamyshev was acting on instructions from two associates known as Tony and Johny, who remain fugitives.
Hotel search reveals diverse stash
After detaining the suspect, BNNP officers raided his hotel room at Puri Tamu Hotel in Jimbaran, where they uncovered a cache of drugs hidden in various locations, including a mini fridge, a wardrobe, and taped containers.
The seized narcotics included:
- 24 packages of hashish (62,98 grams net)
- 10 packages of marijuana (31,94 grams net)
- 5 packages of psilocybin mushrooms (15,2 grams)
- 36 packages of mephedrone (53,98 grams net)
- Methamphetamine (0,14 grams)
- Cocaine (0,05 grams)
- MDMA in powder and crystal form (0,25 grams)
Officers also found three digital scales, bundles of plastic clip bags, and rolls of tape.
Crypto payments and ‘drop’ system
Prosecutors said Karamyshev admitted that he had been distributing drugs in Bali since mid-2024, collecting shipments from Jimbaran and Ubud, and sourcing other substances via “drop” locations in Tanjung Benoa.
Karamyshev told investigators he often received payments in cryptocurrency—specifically 0,00036 bitcoin per transaction—and occasionally collected cash, including a Rp1 million payment retrieved via a drop point. All transactions and communications were conducted through Telegram, in a group called “traveling di Bali.”
One stash of methamphetamine was reportedly discovered by chance, when Karamyshev unearthed it while burying another package.
Most drugs already distributed
The court heard that much of the narcotics had already been distributed across areas in Badung, Gianyar, and Denpasar using the “tempel” system, where drugs are hidden for buyers to collect later. The remaining substances were seized by authorities.
Laboratory tests confirmed all the confiscated materials contained active narcotics classified under Category I of Indonesian law, including hashish, marijuana, psilocybin, mephedrone, methamphetamine, cocaine, and MDMA.
The trial continues as the court deliberates a verdict.
