Bali-based businessman's death leaves Australians chasing trail of lost money

The death of a Perth man in a Bali immigration detention centre has left a trail of debt and unfinished work, sparking concerns hundreds of thousands of dollars have been left in limbo, as customers of his car restoration business scramble for answers.

Cameron Hughes, 39, was detained by Balinese immigration authorities on Friday for allegedly breaching his visa conditions, and was found unresponsive in a toilet.

While investigations continue into the exact cause of death, and the circumstances of Mr Hughes's detention, his death has also fuelled concerns about his car restoration business in Bali.

The ABC has pieced together documents and messages from Mr Hughes, and spoken with almost two dozen of his customers across Australia and other countries.

It reveals almost a decade of dealings with many customers who say they were wronged, and a deteriorating personal life over the past year which Mr Hughes often blamed for his business woes.

In a message Mr Hughes sent two days before he died in detention, seen by the ABC, he offered an apology.

"I also need to apologise … to everyone for my stupid behaviour in recent times. Alot [sic] of it caused by stress confusion and hitting the turps,"

he said.

Hefty sums feared lost

Mr Hughes had been living in Bali for more than 15 years, and operated at least two car restoration businesses in that time, Karma Kombis and Holden Resto Bali.

Customers the ABC has spoken to each paid amounts ranging from a few thousand dollars to $100,000 for Mr Hughes to source and restore classic cars.

His yard in Bali is filled with vehicles at different stages of restoration — some customers' cars have been there for more than five years with little to no work done.

Some other cars, which were delivered, were not roadworthy.

One customer, who said he became a friend of Mr Hughes in 2016, would often visit Bali, and said he sometimes stayed at Mr Hughes's home.

"Cam said he would build me a Kombi in six months for $10,000," he said.

After four years of delays, and another $30,000, the customer said he'd become fed up, and told Mr Hughes to send the vehicle "as is".

"It was exactly the same as when I bought it, except a new lick of paint," he said.

"I took it to a Volkswagen expert here [in Australia], and they told me it wasn't roadworthy."

A private Facebook community called Holden Resto Bali Horror Stories is filled with anecdotes, purportedly from Mr Hughes's customers.

The group has grown from about 200 members to more than 500 since his death, and a public version of the page has about 1,000 followers.

While issues have been raised with his business for years, Mr Hughes's death has left many customers wondering if they'll ever receive their cars, or the hefty sums they've already paid.

Mark Pulford spent almost $80,000 since December 2023 attempting to purchase and restore a Holden Torana.

After an initial paint job in April, a progress photo eight months later showed windscreens being fitted.

"The only time anything was completed on the car was on the day I visited his workshop, something very minor," Mr Pulford said.

"Then nothing else would be completed until I visited again."

In a video from May this year, the car can be seen unfinished in Mr Hughes's workshop, covered in dust, along with dozens of other vehicles.

Their stories reveal just a fraction of what customers experienced.

Several said they have no idea where their car is, while others said they had given up on ever recouping the money they paid to Mr Hughes.

One customer told the ABC that car parts they had supplied to Mr Hughes were seen on a different customer's vehicle.

The ABC has confirmed reports were made to Bali Regional Police about Mr Hughes's business late last year.

Some customers also recently attempted legal mediation. Sources familiar with the case said Mr Hughes agreed to settle on several occasions, but never followed through.

Issues build up

While customers have told the ABC about difficulties dealing with Mr Hughes's businesses stretching back almost a decade, many described their experiences worsening since 2025.

In a draft statement provided by Mr Hughes's family, which they said he had written on July 4, before his death, but never published, the 39-year-old defended his work.

"I was dealing with enormous personal and business stress. My health deteriorated badly. I was hospitalised late last year and again early this year with ulcers and anaemia, requiring blood transfusions," the statement said.

"I have since received information from former staff suggesting that work was, at various times, deliberately slowed or stalled and that some work was carried out below the standards I had instructed."

In the statement, Mr Hughes denied "rumours that I have scammed people" and allegations his business "deliberately does poor-quality work".

As pressure built over the past year, Mr Hughes's communications with his customers appeared to become increasingly erratic.

In an expletive-laden voice message in May 2025, he told one of his customers to "chill the f*** out and let me finish my job".

Several customers and people known to Mr Hughes described similar outbursts.

In April this year, Mr Hughes sent a video to another customer from inside the Bali immigration detention centre, where he was waiting for an update about potentially being deported.

"[I'm] super stressed, and I apologise," Mr Hughes said.

In a subsequent audio message Mr Hughes explained he had been unable to work on any cars after recently divorcing from his Indonesian wife, due to a visa issue.

"However, I plan on bloody working every day, so this is really only for a short period," Mr Hughes said.

The ABC understands Mr Hughes had attended the Balinese immigration office several times in the past year, including during his detention on Friday, and was facing deportation.

In Mr Hughes's unpublished statement, he offered to allow customers to collect their vehicles before they were completed, or wait until he could legally continue working in Bali.

But following his death, the future of Mr Hughes's business, and the money and vehicles of his customers, remains unclear.

Several people who knew Mr Hughes in Bali described him initially as an affable man who was trying his best.

"He was a really nice bloke, and easy to talk to, and really friendly. But when everything went south … it wasn't the same person I was speaking to," one person familiar with Mr Hughes said, on the condition of anonymity.

In a post on Facebook after his death, Mr Hughes's ex-wife Indah told his customers she hoped they could "find it in your hearts to forgive him".

"I humbly ask for your forgiveness for any mistakes, hurt, or wrongs he may have caused during his lifetime," Indah said.