Singaporean arrested after allegedly strangling girlfriend to death in Bali

A Singaporean man has been arrested in Bali for the alleged murder of his girlfriend at a boarding house on Wednesday (July 15).

The 25-year-old suspect, identified by the initials MZ, is accused of strangling his girlfriend, AS, a 26-year-old woman from Tegal, Central Java, following a dispute in their relationship, reported Indonesian news outlet NusaBali.

The victim was later found by her brother, who reportedly discovered her body under a pile of dolls in the suspect's room, according to another news outlet Detik.com.

It was also reported that the suspect's new girlfriend had raised concerns about an unusual odour at the premises, but her concerns were dismissed.

Denpasar police chief Leonardo D. Simatupang said police were dispatched to a boarding house along Jalan Mekar II in Pedungan Village, South Denpasar, after receiving a report at around 7pm on Wednesday about the discovery of the body.

Leonardo said officers gathered several clues from the scene, including the suspect's characteristics, identity and vehicle details.

Using the information, a joint team tracked down and arrested the suspect in the Ngurah Rai Bypass area of Sanur about three hours after receiving the report, as he was reportedly attempting to flee.

Based on preliminary investigations, police said the pair had been together for about a year and that the motive was linked to a dispute between them, reported NusaBali.

"The preliminary motive is due to heartbreak from a romantic relationship. The perpetrator assaulted the victim by strangling her for approximately 15 minutes," said Leonardo.

Authorities also revealed that the suspect has overstayed in Indonesia by about a year, after checks showed that he entered the country as a tourist in 2025.

Investigations into the case are ongoing.

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This article's headline has been edited for clarity.

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