Indonesian court sentences Ukrainian man to life for producing illegal drugs in Bali

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — A Ukrainian man arrested in Thailand and extradited to Indonesia after seven months on the run was convicted Thursday of producing illegal drugs on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali and sentenced to life in prison.

Roman Nazarenko, 40, became a suspect after police raided a villa in Bali in May 2024 and found a lab in the basement to grow marijuana and produce a precursor of the synthetic drug ecstasy. As a fugitive listed by Interpol, he was arrested in December at Bangkok's international airport while he tried to flee to Dubai.

Nazarenko, who argued during the trial that he was tricked into joining the drug ring but who prosecutors said was one of the masterminds, sat silently as a panel of three judges at Denpasar District Court handed down the verdict Thursday.

“There is no reason to forgive or justify the defendant, he deserves to be punished commensurate with what he has done,” presiding Judge Eni Martiningrum said. “His crime could damage the mental state of the young generation.”

Convicted drug smugglers in Indonesia are sometimes executed by firing squad under the country’s strict drug law.

A Russian man identified by prosecutors as the overall mastermind of the drug ring, Oleg Tkachuck, remains at large.

The same court in January sentenced two Ukrainian brothers, Mykyta Volovod and Ivan Volovod, and a Russian man, Konstantin Krutz, to 20 years in prison each. They had been arrested during the raid on the villa. The Volovod brothers were accused of being drugmakers and Krutz was accused of selling the drugs.

The Volovod brothers admitted during their trial that Tkachuck had paid them $30,000 in Sep. 2023 to install equipment at the villa to produce hydroponic marijuana and mephedrone, which is used to make ecstasy pills.

Tkachuck also paid them $3,000 for 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of dried marijuana and $10,000 for 1 kilogram (2 pounds) of mephedrone that they had produced for sale to users via couriers and ride-hailing services. All transactions were made through the Telegram messaging app and payment was made using cryptocurrency.

Prosecutors said that Nazarenko had recruited the others for Tkachuck, provided equipment, brought marijuana seeds from abroad and oversaw operations of the drug lab.

Nazarenko expressed his remorse during his trial, and argued that he had been tricked by Tkachuck into providing the necessary equipment, and that he had no idea how the lab worked.

Bali has long been popular with Russians and Ukrainians, but since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 it has become a magnet for thousands of people from those two countries who are seeking to escape the horrors of war. Visitors from Russia especially have surged.

Despite their home countries being at war, Russians and Ukrainians have collaborated in crime rings on Indonesia's most famous holiday island, said Marthinus Hukom, the head of Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency.

“This is a very unique phenomenon,” Hukom said, “Two countries that are at war, but here in Bali, their citizens are partners in crime, engaging in illicit drug trafficking.”

Government data shows that the number of Russian tourists visiting the Southeast Asian idyll in 2022 was 57,860. The figure rose significantly each year, reaching 180,215 by the end of 2024.

Bali Police Chief Daniel Adityajaya said the number of Russians accused of committing crimes in Bali in 2023 was 28, a nearly five-fold increase over 2022, including offenses such as kidnapping, extortion, drug trafficking and disrespecting Balinese culture.

In a separate trial Thursday, the same court sentenced William Wallace Molyneaux, a U.S. citizen who has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, to six months of medical rehabilitation at a facility on the island after finding him guilty of possessing amphetamine.

His earlier charge of importing drugs was dropped after the 27-year-old resident of Brooksville, Florida, was able to convince the court that he was addicted to amphetamine because he suffers from ADHD and that he didn't know it was prohibited in Indonesia. That charge could have carried up to 15 years in prison under the country’s tough drug laws.

Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.

FILE - U.S. citizen William Wallace Molyneaux V of Brooksville, Fla., who is charged with importing drugs to Indonesia, enters the courtroom for a hearing at the district court in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

Ukraine's citizen Roman Nazarenko, center, who is on trial on accusation of running a drug lab on the resort island of Bali, arrives for a hearing at the district court in Denpasar, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Ukraine's citizen Roman Nazarenko, centre, who is on trial on accusation of running a drug lab on the resort island of Bali, attends a hearing at the district court in Denpasar, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Ukraine's citizen Roman Nazarenko, centre back to the camera, who is on trial on accusation of running a drug lab on the resort island of Bali, attends a hearing at the district court in Denpasar, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Ukraine's citizen Roman Nazarenko, center, who is on trial on accusation of running a drug lab on the resort island of Bali, arrives for a hearing at the district court in Denpasar, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian Open's first formal opening ceremony became the Roger Federer show on the eve of the season-opening major.

There was Crowded House, the band, playing a set of four hits. There was a full house — a capacity crowd in the 15,000-seat stadium.

Rod Laver, the great Australian player of Grand Slam fame, was in the house. The 87-year-old Aussie was sitting courtside in Rod Laver Arena, the center court at Melbourne Park named in his honor.

Federer, the six-time Australian Open winner and 20-time Grand Slam champion, partnered past champions Andre Agassi and then Ash Barty in an exhibition doubles match against Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt as the main feature of the program.

It went to script, with Federer winning the first point despite framing a forehand and then emphatically finishing off the victory with a leaping overhead winner.

Novak Djokovic, who has won 10 Australian titles among his record 24 major championships, was there to watch.

The Australian Open main draw singles competitions start Sunday. Djokovic plays his opening match on Monday.

Australian Open organizers turned the 2026 edition into a three-week festival of tennis, with 217,999 fans attending across six days to watch exhibitions, qualifying and the 1 Point Slam before the main draw started.

Federer was back in Australia for the first time since 2021, making the trip now because he retired from competitive tennis before he could do a farewell season tour.

“It really truly means so much to me when people like Rocket (Laver) show up,” Federer said. “It’s super important to be grateful” to earlier generations of stars.

Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts with partner Ash Barty of Australia in their doubles match against Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter of Australia during the Opening Ceremony for the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Rod Laver, centre, waves ahead of a doubles match between Roger Federer of Switzerland and Andre Agassi of the United States, left, and Lleyton Hewitt, right, and Pat Rafter of Australia during the Opening Ceremony for the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.(AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Roger Federer of Switzerland and Andre Agassi, right, of the United States react in their doubles match against Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter of Australia during the Opening Ceremony for the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Novak Djokovic, right, of Serbia embraces Roger Federer of Switzerland during the Opening Ceremony for the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Roger Federer of Switzerland reacts with partner Andre Agassi, left, of the United States in their doubles match against Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter of Australia during the Opening Ceremony for the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)