Indonesia warns of becoming hub for transnational cybercrime networks following Jakarta, Batam raids

Police arrested 321 people in the West Jakarta raid on May 7 and 210 people in the May 6 Batam raid. Many were foreigners who reportedly entered Indonesia using its visa-free or visa-on-arrival facilities.

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JAKARTA: Indonesia is emerging as a new hub for transnational online gambling and scam operations, its police said, with the authorities planning to establish a task force to curb the growing threat. 

Operations that were once concentrated in countries like Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam are increasingly being uncovered across Indonesia, the National Central Bureau of Interpol Indonesia said last Saturday (May 9).

“After successful crackdowns in countries (in Indochina), the operations seem to have moved to Indonesia,” said Untung Widyatmoko, secretary of Interpol Indonesia, as quoted by news outlet The Jakarta Post. 

Recent raids have uncovered cybercrime dens across the country that allegedly involved hundreds of foreign nationals, including a major operation at an office building in Hayam Wuruk area of West Jakarta. 

Police arrested 321 people, including 228 Vietnamese and 57 Chinese nationals, in the Hayam Wuruk raid on May 7.

The online gambling operation had been active for two months, authorities said. 

The Hayam Wuruk raid came a day after another major operation in Batam, where immigration and police officers detained 210 foreign nationals at the Baloi View Apartment in the Lubuk Baja area. 

“Previously, cases have been uncovered in Denpasar, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Bogor and Sukabumi,” Untung was quoted as saying by news outlet Kompas.

He added that servers that were previously located in scam hubs such as Sihanoukville and Poipet in Cambodia, or Myawaddy in Myanmar, have begun moving to Indonesia.

Untung said operational bases for such transnational crimes have also shifted to the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.

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INDONESIAN WITH CAMBODIA LINKS AMONG THOSE ARRESTED 

Kompas reported that one Indonesian previously employed in Cambodia was among those arrested in the Hayam Wuruk raid. 

Others detained included 13 Myanmar nationals, 11 Lao nationals, five Thais and three each from Malaysia and Cambodia.

Police said the group had been operating 75 online gambling domains and websites, based on evidence from seized electronic devices. 

Authorities also seized 1.9 billion rupiah (US$109,165), 53.82 million Vietnamese dong (US$2,045) and US$10,210 in cash, local media reported. 

Initial investigations have identified 275 suspects, who may face charges related to illegal gambling and money laundering, Jakarta Post reported. 

The roles of the remaining individuals are still being investigated and authorities are mapping the network structure and identifying the alleged masterminds. Investigators are also tracing sponsors, office renters and financial flows linked to the operation.

“We are continuing digital forensic analysis, tracing financial flows, tracking servers and identifying sponsors who brought the (foreign nationals) into Indonesia,” said Wira Satya Triputra, Director of General Crimes at Indonesia’s Criminal Investigation Department. 

Untung of Interpol Indonesia said the Batam and Hayam Wuruk cases reflect a growing pattern of foreign-linked cybercrime operations in Indonesia, including online gambling, romance scams and fraudulent investment schemes. 

He called for better transnational coordination following the shift to Indonesia, revealing plans by Interpol Indonesia to coordinate with the Foreign Ministry to establish a task force to address the growing threat. 

“This phenomenon is developing very rapidly and requires us to sit together and consolidate efforts through a task force,” he said, as quoted by Jakarta Post.

The Indonesian police have also urged the Immigration and Corrections Ministry to strengthen monitoring of foreign nationals who were already linked to transnational crimes. 

Preliminary investigations found many of the foreign nationals in the Hayam Wuruk raid had entered Indonesia visa-free and allegedly overstayed the permitted 30-day period, according to Wira of Indonesia’s Criminal Investigations Department. 

Most of those detained in the Batam raid had reportedly entered Indonesia using its visa-free or visa-on-arrival facilities.

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