TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Indonesia's National Police have named four Indonesian nationals as suspects in a massive online gambling syndicate operating from Hayam Wuruk Tower Plaza in West Jakarta, a case that also involves 321 foreign nationals.
Brig. Gen. Wira Satya Triputra, director of general crimes at the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim), said investigators identified the four suspects after expanding the probe into the cross-border gambling network.
"The investigative team developed the case and arrested four Indonesian nationals," Wira told reporters at Bareskrim headquarters on Friday, June 26.
The suspects, identified by their initials MAP, BT, DFA, and DA, allegedly played different roles in the operation.
MAP served as the syndicate's financial administrator and was arrested during a police raid on the 20th and 21st floors of Hayam Wuruk Tower Plaza on May 7. Police said MAP also maintained direct contact with the network's alleged coordinator, Chinese national Lio Hongyu, also known as Leo or LTH.
Investigators believe Lio fled Indonesia shortly after the raid and is now in China.
According to police, BT helped arrange the lease of the office space used by the syndicate, while DFA prepared bank accounts and ATM cards to facilitate its financial transactions. DA allegedly managed the syndicate's finances, converted funds into cryptocurrency, and handled immigration permits for the foreign nationals involved.
Police have so far named 287 of the 321 foreign nationals as suspects. They include 185 Vietnamese, 76 Chinese, 15 Myanmar nationals, six Thais, three Laotians, and two Malaysians. Authorities said they worked as customer service representatives, programmers, marketing and finance administrators, or trainees operating online gambling platforms.
Further investigation found that the syndicate controlled 145 gambling websites, nearly double the 75 sites initially identified following the raid.
Police estimate that the network processed around Rp13.9 trillion (about US$850 million) in gambling deposits during roughly two months of operation, generating an estimated Rp1.69 trillion in profits.
"The figures are based on digital forensic analysis of mobile phones, computers, and laptops seized during the investigation," Wira said.
Investigators also confiscated Rp8.5 billion in cash believed to have been used in the operation, along with foreign currencies—including US dollars, Thai baht, and Malaysian ringgit—worth around Rp245 million.
In addition to pursuing those directly involved, police are investigating 15 companies that sponsored or guaranteed visa applications for the foreign nationals linked to the syndicate.
Two of the companies are PT Klitz Tour and Travel and PT 1688 Prima. During a visit to PT Klitz's office on June 10, Tempo observed investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducting a separate search related to an alleged extortion case involving officials from the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections.
Employees of both companies acknowledged handling immigration documents for some of the foreign nationals but denied any involvement in the online gambling operation. Tempo has sought comment from both companies but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Read: ASEAN Immigration Chiefs Discuss Cross-Border Scam Crimes
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