21/01/2026
🇷🇴 Romanian Fugitive Captured in Bali After Secret Marriage to Indonesian Woman
Indonesian authorities have arrested Zuleam Costinel Cosmin (33), a Romanian national listed on an international Interpol Red Notice, after discovering he had been hiding in Bali while secretly marrying an Indonesian citizen.
The arrest was confirmed by the International Relations Division (Divhubinter) of the Indonesian National Police. During a press briefing in Denpasar, Police Commissioner Ricky Purnama, Head of the International Crime Section, revealed that Cosmin lived quietly in Bali and depended financially on his wife to avoid suspicion.
“We found that he entered into a siri (unregistered) marriage with an Indonesian woman. To stay under the radar, he avoided work and relied on his spouse’s income,” Purnama explained.
Cosmin was apprehended on January 15 by a joint task force from Bali Regional Police, following intelligence received from NCB Interpol Bucharest. Authorities confirmed that his wife was unaware of his fugitive status and did not know he was wanted in Romania for serious crimes.
“She had no knowledge that her husband was an international fugitive at the time of his arrest,” Purnama added.
During the arrest operation, Cosmin was escorted from the Bali Police Criminal Investigation Directorate wearing an orange detainee vest and handcuffs, deliberately shielding his face from media cameras.
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Untung Widyatmoko of NCB Interpol Indonesia stated that Cosmin is considered one of Romania’s most wanted criminals, linked to major murder and robbery cases that drew national attention.
The arrest followed an intensive four-day surveillance and tracking operation, involving coordination between Bali Police, Denpasar Police, and Gianyar Police.
Cosmin is scheduled to be deported to Romania tonight, with arrival expected the following day. His extradition follows an arrest warrant issued by the Sibiu Court on November 19, 2023.
According to Romanian authorities, Cosmin was involved in a violent robbery on November 6, 2023, in Sibiu City. Along with two accomplices, he allegedly broke into a businessman’s home, assaulted the victim, threatened the victim’s daughter with a firearm, and escaped with a luxury watch valued at €200,000. His accomplices were later arrested in Ireland and Scotland and sentenced to life imprisonment.
