Jakarta – Cross-border online gambling has become a serious concern in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. This transnational crime continues to grow, utilizing digital technologies and complex international networks.
The negative impacts of online gambling are not only harmful to the individuals involved but also detrimental to the country’s economy and contribute to the rise in money laundering cases. To address this issue, ASEAN countries have agreed to strengthen cross-border cooperation in eradicating online gambling, which has increasingly become a public nuisance.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs (Menko Polkam) Budi Gunawan stated that the government has established the Online Gambling Eradication Desk to coordinate efforts in combating this crime.
“The joint desk will continue to enforce the law and trace the financial flows related to online gambling activities involving various parties,” said Budi Gunawan.
He emphasized that international coordination is essential to target money laundering activities, which are often used by online gambling networks to disguise their illegal profits.
Furthermore, the approach using technology to detect and prevent online gambling is being enhanced.
The Head of the Criminal Investigation Agency (Kabareskrim) of the National Police, Commissioner General Wahyu Widada, added that one of the main focuses in combating online gambling is asset tracing.
By tracking assets obtained from criminal activities, law enforcement authorities can freeze and seize funds used to operate gambling networks. This step is seen as crucial to breaking the chain of illegal businesses that are rapidly growing in the digital era.
To strengthen the eradication efforts, the Head of the International Relations Division of the National Police (Kadiv Hubinter) Police Inspector General Krishna Murti revealed that the police have established strategic cooperation with Interpol and other international law enforcement agencies.
“Polri has established strategic cooperation with Interpol through the Senior Officer Meeting Transnational Crime in Laos,” said Krishna Murti.
The two-star general further mentioned that discussions on this cooperation include the exchange of information to identify, trace, and take action against online gambling perpetrators operating in Indonesia.
In addition, this cooperation is not limited to Interpol but also involves the police forces of neighboring Southeast Asian countries.
“We are working with neighboring countries to take firm action against international online gambling networks,” he emphasized.
