Indonesian police have arrested three Australian men in connection with the fatal shooting of a 32-year-old Australian national and the serious injury of another Australian, aged 34, during a targeted attack at a private villa in Bali last weekend.
Police allege the attack was premeditated and say they plan to pursue murder charges that carry the possibility of the death penalty under Indonesian law.
Suspects tried to flee abroad
Police identified the alleged ringleader as a 27-year-old man, referred to by his initials DFJ, who is accused of planning the attack and supplying the tools used to carry it out, including a hammer used to force open the villa door and vehicles for the escape. The hammer was reportedly traced back to a local store using a barcode, and surveillance footage from the purchase helped authorities identify the suspect.
Two additional suspects, aged 22 and 26 and identified as MC and PMT respectively, were also arrested.
While DFJ was apprehended at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta after a failed attempt to flee the country via Singapore and Phnom Penh, MC and PMT were detained in Singapore and later repatriated to Indonesia.
The arrest followed international coordination involving Interpol Singapore, Cambodian immigration, and Indonesian police.
Police believe MC and PMT were hired hitmen recruited by DFJ. Following DFJ’s arrest, authorities discovered their identities through data extracted from his mobile phone.
Escape route traced across islands and borders
Bali Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya said the suspects initially fled the crime scene on scooters before switching to a white Toyota Fortuner, later found in Tabanan. They then moved into a Suzuki XL7 and traveled to Surabaya, East Java, eventually attempting to leave the country through Jakarta.
One suspect reportedly took a land route from Denpasar through Gilimanuk and Banyuwangi before arriving in Jakarta. After being flagged by Interpol at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, he briefly escaped immigration custody but was rearrested at a nearby hotel while attempting to flee to Batam by road.
Authorities say they are still working to determine the motive, but are confident that the three suspects played direct roles in both the planning and execution of the attack. “They’re the executors of the shooting, and they were the ones who prepared it,” Adityajaya said.
Seized evidence includes firearms and vehicles
Investigators have collected multiple pieces of evidence, including 17 bullet casings, projectiles, a hammer, a face mask, blood samples, a motorbike, two cars, and CCTV footage. Surveillance footage showed one of the attackers wearing a black singlet and dark helmet riding a motorbike shortly after the shooting. Facial recognition from immigration systems further aided identification.
Authorities have also coordinated with the Directorate General of Immigration and used e-ticketing camera systems (e-TLE) and flight passenger records to build profiles on foreign nationals arriving in Bali in the week prior to the attack.
The Indonesian police’s International Relations Division, Interpol Indonesia, and the Directorate General of Immigration were among the agencies involved in the cross-border effort.
The Australian Federal Police have confirmed their involvement in the case but declined to provide further comment.
Background: One killed, one wounded in late-night villa attack
The attack occurred just after midnight on Saturday, 14 June 2025, at Villa Casa Santisya 1 on Jalan Pantai Munggu in Bali’s Badung regency. A 32-year-old man was shot and died at the scene, while a 34-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and remains hospitalized. Police said the second victim was also beaten.
Witnesses told police they heard the attackers speaking English with strong Australian accents and saw them fleeing on scooters. Forensic teams later found multiple bullet fragments and bloodstains at the scene.
Local reports have indicated that the deceased was the son of a known narcotics syndicate leader in Australia, raising suspicions among investigators that the shooting may be linked to an underworld conflict. Indonesian police have not yet confirmed a motive and say the origin of the firearm remains under investigation.
Police say the investigation is ongoing, and additional updates will be provided as the case progresses.
