JAKARTA – The government continues to demonstrate its seriousness in eradicating online gambling practices that are increasingly disturbing the public.
Firm steps were taken through various disclosures of major cases involving syndicates and individuals acting as dealers.
The Cyber Crime Directorate (Dittipdisiber) of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Indonesian National Police has again uncovered a major case by arresting three perpetrators who managed the Agen138 online gambling site in Metro, Lampung.
Meanwhile, government efforts are not only limited to domestic actors.
One of the major successes was the arrest of an Interpol fugitive from China with the initials YZ at Batam Center International Port.
YZ, who is the mastermind behind the online gambling platform in his country, was arrested while entering Indonesia via Singapore.
“YZ is the subject of a red notice from Interpol Beijing for being involved in money laundering of Rp284 billion from online gambling activities,” said Director of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement,
Yuldi Yusman.
According to Yuldi, the Indonesian government has coordinated with the Chinese side to hand over YZ to undergo further legal proceedings.
“We have contacted Interpol Beijing and will hand over the suspect according to procedure. This shows our commitment to eradicating transnational crime,” he said.
Another case of concern is the crime of money laundering involving the diversion of funds from online gambling to build the Aruss Hotel in Semarang, Central Java.
Director of Special Economic Crimes at the Indonesian National Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Brigadier General Helfi Assegaf, explained,
“Suspect FH, who is also a commissioner of PT AJP, used the company’s account to disguise the proceeds of this crime. The funds were channeled through five different accounts and some were given through intermediaries.”
Helfi added that the hotel operations were the suspect’s main source of profit.
“The online gambling money that was diverted to the construction of this hotel is a highly organized money laundering effort. This action is clearly against the law,” he said.
FH and PT AJP were charged with Article 6 in conjunction with Article 69 of the TPPU Law, Article 27 paragraph (2) of the ITE Law, and Article 303 of the Criminal Code, with the threat of a fine of up to IDR 100 billion.
National Police Chief General Pol Listyo Sigit Prabowo also explained the achievements of the Police throughout 2024 in handling online gambling cases.
“We have successfully uncovered 1,611 online gambling cases out of a total of 4,926 gambling cases handled. We have secured 1,918 suspects, including bookies and operators,” he said.
Listyo explained that the confiscated evidence included land, buildings, jewelry, luxury vehicles, electronic devices, and cash worth IDR 61.072 billion.
“We have also blocked 126,447 online gambling sites to break the chain of this crime,” he added.
According to him, this step aims to provide a deterrent effect and ensure that there are no loopholes for perpetrators to operate again.
