📸

M3, THE SUNSET CAR WASH

400 or 500 thousand rupiah [$40 or $50] from his wallet – for most Balinese, about half their monthly salary.

For me he’s Robin Hood but for other people he is evil, and I don’t care.

Why?

It’s his own business, not my business.

– Putu

He also invited Putu to the grand opening party of M3, held months after it was operating. People from many walks of Chino’s life turned up that night, from musicians and local journalists to drug dealers, including Rafael. If the journalists were aware M3 was a giant laundry, they didn’t write it. There were many nights when Chino threw open the doors for parties. The glassed-off café would come alive with music, sometimes with ex-band members Putu and Manto jamming, or large screens erected to broadcast international sports events, while kids, including his own son, played video games.

The drug boss had created a grand Bali life, with status, close ties to politicians and cops, real estate and ritzy toys. He owned a large property on the river in the heart of Legian, with a house, swimming pool and huge parking area for his favourite toys – a fleet of prestige cars and motorbikes. The jet-ski rental business comprised a pier and racks on the sand to stack his 20 machines. He was also building a go-kart racetrack, and dreamt of one day hosting the world go-kart championships in Bali.

To stay safe, Chino flew high on the radar with his legitimate businesses, or laundries, but was able to use his smarts,

📸