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View all search resultsUkrainian woman sentenced to 20 years for smuggling drugs in Bali
Vakarova was arrested on Aug. 3 last year upon arriving at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali from Warsaw, Poland, after customs officers discovered over 2 kilograms of drugs in her pink suitcase.
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Kateryna Vakarova, 21, a Ukrainian national, exits Denpasar District Court in Bali on Jan. 29, 2026, after being sentenced to 20 years in prison for smuggling 2 kilograms of drugs into the island. (JP/Ni Komang Erviani)
D
enpasar District Court sentenced on Thursday Ukrainian national Kateryna Vakarova to 20 years in prison for smuggling 2 kilograms of drugs into Bali.
Presiding Judge Ni Kadek Kusuma Wardani said the 21-year-old was found guilty of violating Article 609 of the Criminal Code, pertaining to the possession of illicit drugs exceeding 5 grams.
“The court hereby sentences the defendant to 20 years in prison and a fine of Rp 1 million [US$59.56], which will be converted into an additional 190 days in prison if unpaid,” Wardani said during the verdict.
The sentence handed to Vakarova exceeded the 12-year term sought by prosecutors.
Judge Wardani cited the scale of the drug operation and its potential impact on society as aggravating factors, while noting the defendant’s cooperation and respectful behavior during the trial as mitigating factors.
Vakarova now has seven days to decide whether to appeal the verdict.
Read also: American, Kazakhs in Bali face death penalty over drugs: Authorities
