Russian fugitive on the run for two weeks after fleeing deportation arrested in Bali

Andrey Kovalenko, who fled an immigration office in Bali to avoid deportation, was held at a villa in tourist hub Kuta along with his girlfriend

He had just finished a jail term following a 2019 arrest for selling hashish to tourists in the Indonesian resort island

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Russian fugitive Andrey Kovalenko at the immigration office in Badung, Bali. Photo: Antara Foto via Reuters

Published: 7:54pm, 24 Feb 2021Updated: 7:54pm, 24 Feb 2021

A Russian fugitive whose dramatic sprint out of an Indonesian immigration office was captured on CCTV has been caught again after two weeks on the run, authorities said on Wednesday.

Andrey Kovalenko fled the office on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to avoid deportation, with the surveillance footage showing him keeping pace on foot with a motorcycle as he escaped.

Authorities fanned out across the island in the hunt for Kovalenko, who was arrested early Wednesday at a villa in tourist hub Kuta along with girlfriend Ekaterina Trubkina, who was wanted for allegedly assisting his escape.

His dash for freedom on February 11 came as officials readied to deport Kovalenko back to Russia on an Interpol warrant.

The 32-year-old had just finished a prison term following a 2019 arrest for selling hashish to tourists in Bali.

The Interpol warrant was linked to a drugs case back in Kovalenko’s home country, said Eko Budianto, head of the immigration division at Bali’s justice and legal agency.

Andrey Kovalenko (right) with his girlfriend Ekaterina Trubkina in Bali on Wednesday. Photo: AFP