Ukrainian, 21, Could Face Firing Squad in Bali After Being Caught Smuggling Designer Drugs

A young Ukrainian woman could be executed by firing squad after being caught smuggling a powerful 'designer drug' into Bali.

Kateryna Vakarova, 21, from Odesa, was arrested earlier this month after arriving by plane on the Indonesian holiday island. Customs officers at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport said her behaviour raised suspicion at the arrivals terminal.

A scan of her luggage revealed packages hidden among her belongings, later confirmed to contain more than 4lb of crystalline 4-CMC, a synthetic narcotic banned under Indonesian law.

Vakarova, who appeared visibly distraught after her detention, is accused of trafficking large quantities of the drug, an offence punishable by life imprisonment or death by firing squad under Indonesia's notoriously strict anti-drug laws.

According to The Bali Times, she admitted transporting the drugs for distribution in Bali's tourist nightlife, allegedly under instructions from overseas contacts linked to a transnational syndicate. Indonesian authorities are said to be working with Interpol to trace the wider network.

Bali's Harsh Drug Laws And Death Penalty

Indonesia has some of the toughest anti-drug laws in the world. Under Narcotics Law No. 35/2009, importing or distributing a Class I narcotic can carry a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison, life imprisonment or execution by firing squad.

The Daily Star reported that executions in Indonesia are carried out by firing squad, the same punishment Vakarova could face if convicted. Although the country has observed a de facto moratorium since 2017, courts continue to impose death sentences in serious narcotics cases.

Figures from AP News indicate that around 530 people are currently on death row in Indonesia, nearly 100 of them foreign nationals. The country last carried out executions in July 2016.

What Is 4-CMC?

The substance seized, 4-CMC (4-Chloromethcathinone), belongs to a group of synthetic cathinones often marketed as 'designer drugs'. These chemically altered substances are created to mimic the effects of narcotics while avoiding classification.

Indonesian authorities have stressed that 4-CMC is listed as a banned Class I substance. Officials in Bali have previously warned that synthetic drugs pose a high risk because of both their potency and unpredictable chemical composition.

British Nationals Also Facing Charges In Bali

Vakarova's case comes as Bali cracks down on narcotics. In July 2025, three Britons — Jonathan Christopher Collyer, Lisa Ellen Stocker and Phineas Ambrose Float — were sentenced to one year in prison after being caught smuggling nearly one kilogram of cocaine.

While they initially faced charges that carried the death penalty, the court downgraded the case and credited time already served in detention.

Other British cases include a 50-year-old man sentenced to five years in prison and fined for possession, and another sentenced to ten months for attempting to collect a package of MDMA.

One of the most notorious examples is Lindsay Sandiford, a British grandmother arrested in 2012 with 3.8kg of cocaine. She was sentenced to death in 2013 and remains on death row in Bali more than a decade later, underscoring that capital punishment for drug crimes remains legally enforceable in Indonesia.

What Happens Next For The Ukrainian Woman?

The investigation into Kateryna Vakarova is still underway. Prosecutors are expected to file formal charges in the coming weeks. Officials told The Bali Times that customs and narcotics agencies are finalising the case file before submitting it to court.

If convicted under Indonesia's drug laws, Vakarova faces at least 20 years in prison, life imprisonment or execution by firing squad.

The case is expected to attract diplomatic attention, with Ukraine likely to monitor the proceedings closely. Bali's narcotics authorities continue to warn that all foreigners are subject to Indonesia's strict drug laws, regardless of nationality.