US praises Indonesian Immigration for arrest of murder suspect in Bali

Tangerang, Banten (ANTARA) - The United States lauded Indonesian immigration authorities for their professionalism in successfully arresting a murder suspect identified as AJP, a US national.

“This was a very difficult situation that was handled very professionally and in a timely manner at every level with our Indonesian counterparts,” United States Special Agent and Overseas Criminal Investigator Richard Dunn said during a press conference for the handover of the wanted foreigner at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Thursday (April 23).

He noted that the arrest was made possible through strong bilateral cooperation and the professional work of Indonesian immigration officers, despite the challenges involved in tracking the fugitive.

Dunn said the murder case in his country involves a suspect identified as AJP, with local authorities still investigating to uncover the facts, and that the arrest of the fugitive could help speed up the case resolution.

"We cannot comment on the ongoing investigation. Once everything is complete, further information will be released in the future, once all the facts are revealed," he stated.

Previously, the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections deported a foreign national from the US with the initials AJP, who was on the wanted list for alleged murder.

Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko explained that the deportation was carried out following a diplomatic note from the US Consulate General, which informed Indonesian authorities of the fugitive’s arrival in Bali.

The immigration team then conducted checks at every arrival autogate and tracked passengers using facial recognition technology at Ngurah Rai International Airport.

“On the same day, our autogate and facial recognition system detected the person’s arrival. On January 17, 2026, the person was arrested at Ngurah Rai Airport,” Marantoko said.

His office then temporarily detained the suspect at the Immigration Detention Center for several months before handing him over to US authorities.

During the arrest, the suspect arrived in Indonesia alone, with no indication of assistance from others. Investigators also found that he had traveled to other Asian countries before arriving in Bali.

“He did not come directly from the US but rather from another Asian country first, and then to Bali,” Marantoko said.

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