Indonesia deports Russian drug convict

Indonesian officials said they were deporting a Russian drug convict Tuesday after he fled from his home country and escaped his first deportation attempt in February on the resort island of Bali.

Andrei Kovalenka, who used the alias Andrew Ayer, served a prison sentence in Indonesia after being arrested in 2019 and convicted of possessing hashish.

He escaped with his partner during the transfer on February 11.

Police found them at a villa after 13 days on the run and arrested him.

He was being transported from Bali to Jakarta on Tuesday morning.

"The deportation process for Andre Kovalenka alias Andrew Ayer will be held at 13.10 pm and carried out by the Bali Ngurah Rai immigration office in collaboration with the Bali police team and the Interpol NCB (National Central Bureau)," said  Jamaruli Manihuruk, Head of the Bali Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights during the news conference.

Manihuruk added that Kovalenka's partner Ekaterina Trubkina has been deported earlier.

Bali regional office for the Ministry of Law and Human Rights recorded 162 foreigners deported from Bali in 2020 and 2021, mostly for visa violations.

"The handover to the Russian police that will escort him will be in Jakarta," said Tommy Arya Dwianto, officer from Interpol National Central Bureau in Indonesia.

According to Dwianto, Kovalenka was convicted in a Russian drug case in 2011 but fled without serving the sentence.

The Russian government asked Interpol to issue the red notice in 2015.