Bali court sentences Russian national to 8 months in drug case

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA) - A court on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali sentenced Russian national Kseniia Varlamova, 33, to eight months and 15 days in prison for failing to report a drug-related offense committed by her associate, Nirul Rashim Abdoelrazak, in a separate case.

A panel of judges led by Iman Luqmanul Hakim ruled on Thursday, June 4, that Varlamova was legally and convincingly proven guilty of failing to report a narcotics offense under Indonesia's 2009 Narcotics Law.

“The court sentences defendant Kseniia Varlamova to eight months and 15 days in prison,” the judges said while delivering the verdict.

In its considerations, the court found that Varlamova was not involved in a cannabis narcotics laboratory network.

However, judges said she failed to notify authorities after learning of a hydroponic cannabis cultivation operation allegedly run by her boyfriend, Nirul Rashim Abdoelrazak.

The sentence was 15 days longer than the eight-month prison term sought by prosecutor I Made Lovi Pusnawan. After hearing the ruling, Varlamova said she accepted the court’s decision.

The prosecution said it was still considering its legal options before deciding whether to take further action.

Authorities seized evidence including dried cannabis, cannabis seeds, hydroponic growing media, plant nutrients, grow lights, a blower, a humidifier, temperature measuring devices and electrical installations.

Officers also confiscated cannabis plants grown in pots and polybags of various sizes, including dozens of seedlings planted in small pots inside plastic containers.

The total narcotics evidence seized weighed 278.2 grams gross, or 133.06 grams net, consisting of cannabis seeds, green cannabis leaves and dried cannabis leaves.

In addition to narcotics evidence and hydroponic equipment, authorities seized two mobile phones belonging to Varlamova and fellow defendant Nirul Rashim Abdoelrazak.

The judges said all seized evidence would be used in separate proceedings against Abdoelrazak.

Varlamova was arrested by Bali Police narcotics officers during a raid on a two-story house in North Denpasar on Oct. 1, 2025.

During the operation, police detained Varlamova together with Abdoelrazak at the property. Police said they discovered 14 cannabis plants and dozens of hydroponically cultivated cannabis seedlings at the site.

Indonesia enforces some of the world's toughest drug laws, with major traffickers facing life imprisonment or the death penalty. Despite these strict penalties, the country remains a lucrative market for drug syndicates, driven by its large population and millions of users.

The nation's drug trade is valued at an estimated 66 trillion rupiah (US$4.3 billion), according to the National Narcotics Agency (BNN). A BNN survey estimates that 3.4 million Indonesians use drugs - roughly 180 out of every 10,000 people aged 15 to 64.

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Translator: Rolandus N, Rahmad Nasution

Editor: M Razi Rahman

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