Australian Killed in Bali Villa Gang Attack: Three Face Death Penalty

A Deadly Night in Bali: Australian Killed in Violent Villa Shooting

An Australian man was killed and another seriously injured in a brutal late-night shooting at a villa in Bali, in what Indonesian police believe was a targeted, gangland-style attack. Three fellow Australians are now in custody and could face the death penalty for their alleged involvement.

The shooting occurred just after midnight on Saturday in Munggu, a village in Bali’s Badung Regency, a region known for its tranquil atmosphere, now shattered by the violence. Zivan “Stipe” Radmanovic, 35, was killed on the spot in front of his terrified wife. His friend, 34-year-old Sanar Ghanim, was shot multiple times but survived and was treated at BIMC Hospital before being discharged in a wheelchair on Sunday.

Zivan Radmanovic, 32, was allegedly shot dead Friday night at a villa in Munggu, Badung Regency. He's pictured with his wife, Gourdeas Jazmyn, 30.

Sanar Ghanim was reportedly shot multiple times and taken to hospital but has since been discharged.

The Victims: A Tangle of Underworld Ties

Radmanovic had travelled to Bali with his wife, 30-year-old Gourdeas Jazmyn, reportedly to celebrate her birthday. They had just arrived two days before the incident. Ghanim, who resides in Bali with his partner, has long-standing ties to Melbourne’s criminal underworld. He is the former partner of Danielle Stephens, daughter of infamous Australian drug lord Carl Williams.

This connection has led to widespread speculation that the shooting was a calculated hit, potentially linked to lingering tensions between Melbourne’s Middle Eastern crime syndicates.

According to Jazmyn, she awoke around 12:15 a.m. to hear her husband screaming from the bathroom. From behind a blanket, she said she saw a man in an orange jacket, accompanied by another armed assailant, open fire on Radmanovic. Moments later, more shots rang out from another room, where Ghanim was reportedly shot seven times.

Despite her husband’s death, Jazmyn tried to stem the bleeding of the wounded Ghanim until emergency services arrived. Another person believed to be a relative managed to escape the villa during the shooting.

Police later discovered 17 bullet casings and 55 bullet fragments at the crime scene.

Arrests Across Borders: Manhunt Ends in Three Captures

Indonesian authorities launched a multi-day manhunt that spanned multiple countries. Speaking on Wednesday, Bali Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya confirmed that three suspects had been arrested with the help of Interpol and national law enforcement agencies.

• Darcy Francesco Jenson, 27, was apprehended in Jakarta while allegedly attempting to flee Indonesia.

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• Mevlut Coskun, 23, was detained in Singapore. He had been serving a two-year conditional release order in Australia for drug supply charges in 2023.

• Midolmore Tupou, 37, was arrested in Melbourne and is believed to have helped plan the attack.

Authorities revealed that the suspects attempted to escape by switching vehicles multiple times from a motorbike, to a white Toyota Fortuner, then to an XL7 SUV. They made their way to Surabaya before trying to exit Indonesia via Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Jakarta. One of them was intercepted and returned to Bali in handcuffs.

“Thanks to cooperation with Interpol, we were able to bring them back,” Adityajaya stated, adding that all three may now be charged under Article 340 of Indonesia’s Criminal Code for premeditated murder, a crime punishable by death.

A Deeper History: Violence That Echoes Melbourne's Gangland Wars

The connections to Melbourne’s notorious criminal past add a dark backdrop to the tragedy.

Carl Williams, the father of Ghanim’s ex-partner, rose from a low-level drug dealer to a central figure in the violent gangland wars that plagued Melbourne in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was convicted in 2007 for ordering multiple killings and was serving a life sentence when he was bludgeoned to death in prison in 2010. His life was later dramatized in the Australian TV series Underbelly.

Ghanim himself has a criminal record. In 2014, he was jailed for shooting fellow associate Serkan Kala during a confrontation at a gym. His co-accused also pleaded guilty. While Danielle Stephens was present during the altercation, she was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Following the recent shooting, Ghanim has refused to cooperate with local authorities, despite being placed under close police watch alongside Radmanovic’s family.

Forensics, Evidence, and Investigation

Police have seized multiple pieces of evidence, including cash, passports, vehicles, and a sledgehammer. Radmanovic’s family, after an initial delay, has authorized an autopsy to proceed. Eyewitnesses also reported hearing the attackers speak with strong Australian accents as they fled the scene on motorbikes.

Badung Police Chief Arif Batubara confirmed, “There are two victims, Australian nationals. The victims are Zivan Radmanovic and Sanar Ghanim.”

What Comes Next?

As investigations deepen, questions remain about whether this attack signals the spillover of Melbourne's underworld conflicts into Southeast Asia. Indonesian authorities are expected to proceed with charges imminently. If convicted, the suspects could be the latest Australians to face capital punishment in the region.

Will this shocking incident prompt stronger cross-border crime enforcement or will it reignite old gang rivalries in new territories?