Indonesia’s most notorious prison has a new acting governor this week after a surprise overnight raid uncovered narcotics, mobile phones, and alcohol inside Kerobokan Prison.
Hudi Ismono, head of Kerobokan Prison, was removed from his position following the operation conducted by the Directorate General of Corrections (Ditjen PAS) on Thursday, May 20, 2026.
The raid began at approximately 2:00 AM and targeted inmate cells across the facility, which has long been associated with high-profile drug cases involving both Indonesian and foreign prisoners.
This time, however, the investigation is focusing not only on inmates — but on prison staff themselves.
A Raid Inside Bali’s Most Famous Prison
According to correctional authorities, officers discovered several types of narcotics, mobile phones, and alcoholic beverages during the inspection. All are prohibited inside Indonesian prisons.
Hours later, Bali Police’s Narcotics Directorate was called in to receive the evidence and begin a formal criminal investigation.
The operation forms part of a wider crackdown by Indonesia’s correctional authorities on drug smuggling and corruption inside prisons, where illegal phones and narcotics have repeatedly surfaced despite strict security rules.
Decky Nurmansyah, head of Bali’s regional corrections office, confirmed that the prison governor had been removed pending investigation.
“Following the raid, we deactivated the prison governor,” Decky said on Sunday, May 24, 2026. “He is currently under examination.”
He declined to comment further on the evidence or possible involvement of additional staff members, saying the investigation remains ongoing.
But he issued a clear warning to prison employees.
“The leadership will not tolerate staff involvement in drug trafficking inside the prison,” he said. “Employees proven to be involved will face criminal charges.”
Why Kerobokan Matters Internationally
For many foreign readers, Kerobokan Prison is already familiar.
The facility became internationally known through the imprisonment of members of the Bali Nine and numerous other foreign nationals convicted under Indonesia’s strict narcotics laws. Over the years, documentaries, books, and international media reports have turned the prison into one of Bali’s most recognizable institutions outside the tourism industry.
But the recurring discovery of drugs and illegal items inside the prison continues to damage confidence in the facility itself.
For expats and long-term foreign residents in Bali, the latest raid reinforces a question that has followed Kerobokan for years: if prohibited items continue entering the prison, where are the security failures happening?
The removal of a prison governor suggests authorities are attempting to show accountability.
Whether the investigation expands further remains unclear.
The Investigation Continues
The Directorate of Security and Intelligence, Bali Police, internal compliance investigators, and Indonesia’s National Narcotics Agency (BNN) are now conducting parallel investigations into the case.
Authorities have not yet announced whether additional prison employees will be suspended or charged.
For now, Kerobokan Prison continues operating under new temporary leadership while investigators work through evidence collected during the early morning raid.
But inside one of Indonesia’s most heavily scrutinized prisons, the discovery of drugs, phones, and alcohol behind locked walls has once again exposed a problem authorities have promised for years to eliminate — and still have not fully contained.
