The Indonesian ex-wife of an Australian man who died in a Bali immigration detention cell had alerted authorities to his visa overstay following their separation, according to reports.

Cameron Hughes, 39, was found unresponsive in the bathroom of his detention cell at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office on July 10 and later died. Balinese police declared his death a suicide after an autopsy, which also revealed he had underlying heart disease issues. A towel was found near his body.

Hughes, originally from Perth, had lived in Bali for 15 years. He had been married to an Indonesian national with whom he shared an eight-year-old son. Their marriage had recently ended, which led to the termination of his permanent stay permit (KITAP).

Following the separation, Hughes was placed on a tourist visa but had overstayed it by 98 days. He was also reportedly operating his Holden restoration business under the terms of a visitor visa, which is a violation of immigration law. His ex-wife, identified by the initial NKIY, reportedly tipped off immigration officials about his visa breaches.

"Immigration received a report regarding a foreign national allegedly engaging in activities that were not in accordance with the conditions of his stay permit," stated Bugie Kurniawan, Head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office. "The report was submitted by an Indonesian citizen with the initials NKIY, who is the former wife of the reported foreign national."

Immigration officials checked Hughes' permit status and found it was valid until April 4, 2026. However, at the time of his apprehension, he had overstayed by four days. After repeated failures to arrange his return to Australia, he was apprehended at his home on July 10.

Kurniawan noted that Hughes was uncooperative during his apprehension, requiring officers to escort him to the immigration office. He arrived at the detention room around 3:09 p.m. and entered the bathroom at 4:22 p.m. An officer discovered him unconscious on the bathroom floor approximately 30 minutes later.

Despite resuscitation efforts by officers and medical staff for over 80 minutes, Hughes died en route to Bali Jimbaran General Hospital. CCTV footage released by Bali Police shows Hughes pacing in his cell before entering the bathroom.

Hughes' family expressed devastation and stated they had received conflicting information regarding the circumstances of his death. They described him as a devoted father and a hardworking individual who was proud of his accomplishments. The family also denied suggestions that Hughes had failed to cooperate with immigration authorities, asserting he had been in regular contact to clarify his status.

Authorities said that Hughes would be blacklisted from re-entering Bali for at least six months, and potentially longer, depending on the severity of the visa breach.

Hughes' automotive workshop in the Jimbaran area is understood to have closed in December.

IMAGE3: Cameron Hughes, 39, died last week after he was found unresponsive inside the bathroom of an Indonesian immigration detention cell IMAGE5: His ex-wife Indah tipped off immigration officials last year that he'd broken his visa conditions IMAGE4: An immigration officer found Mr Hughes unconscious in the bathroom of his cell (above) IMAGE7: Bali Police shared CCTV of Cameron Hughes in his cell (above) shortly before he died IMAGE2: Mr Hughes leaves behind a young son who he shares with his ex-wife IMAGE6: The family of Mr Hughes (pictured with his sisters) were 'devastated' by the news of his death