A 35-year-old tourist from Azerbaijan, identified as TFO (34), has been arrested by police in Bali for his involvement for the robbery of a moneychanger at Aura villa on Jalan Banjar Wana Segara in Kuta, Bali on Sunday, 27 July 2025.
TFO, together with an unnamed accomplice, JN, approached a money changer in Kuta, falsely claiming they were INTERPOL officers. A spokesman for the Denpasar Police Precinct. AKP I Ketut Sukadi
The perpetrator and an unknown accomplice posed as customers at the money changer, claiming he was an INTERPOL officer.
The spokesman for the Denpasar Police Precinct, AKP I Ketut Sukadi, confirmed that the second man, named “Jhonny,” is still being sought by police. “The perpetrators attempted to strangle the money changer, then ran away with the money sitting on the counter, “said Ketut in a written press release.
Police say the incident began when the money changer was approached and requested to exchange US$12,000 to be delivered to the client’s villa. Two employees of the money changer, Ario Surianingrat and Faizal, arrived at the designated villa carrying Rp. 191,150,000 to exchange for the US$12,000.
At the villa, the two men met with TFO and counted out the Indonesian Rupiah. The villa occupants, however, would not produce the US$ they initially claimed they wished to exchange. One of the foreigners, claiming to be an INTEROL Officer, suddenly attacked one of the money changers. Escaping a choke hold, the Indonesian victim ran from the villa, screaming for help. Sukadi describes the evolving incident, saying: “When the victim ran from the villa and mounted his motorcycle, he saw the shirtless TFO leave the villa carrying the stolen Indonesian Rupiahs. A short chase ensued with the victim giving chase, managing to crash into the fleeing Azerbaijani as the stolen Rupiahs scattered over the roadway.
Bystanders managed to apprehend the foreigner and eventually handed him over to police.
Police report that during interrogation, TFO told them he stole the money to meet his living expenses in Bali. Social media capture the stolen money in Rp. 100,000 denominations scattered along a road in Kuta,
Meanwhile, Jhony, also identified as JN, managed to grab and flee with some of the stolen money. JN, from Uzbekistan was arrested the following day. Monday. 28 July 2025, at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport believed to be in the process of trying to leave the Country.
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