RismadarVoice Reporters
May 11, 2026
Indonesian National Police have arrested 321 foreign nationals in a large-scale raid targeting an alleged international online gambling operation based in the capital, Jakarta.
The operation, described by authorities as one of the country’s biggest crackdowns on illegal digital betting networks, was carried out at a commercial complex near Jakarta’s Chinatown area.
Police said the suspects were discovered operating what investigators believe to be more than 70 online gambling websites targeting users outside Indonesia.
According to the authorities, those arrested include 228 Vietnamese nationals, 57 Chinese nationals, and others from Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia.
Director of General Crimes, Wira Satya Triputra, said the suspects were caught in the act during coordinated operations inside the building, where they allegedly carried out roles such as customer service, telemarketing, and financial administration.
He added that preliminary investigations suggest the network had been operating for about two months before the raid.
Authorities believe many of the foreign workers entered Indonesia on short-term visitor visas and overstayed while working for the syndicate, raising additional immigration violations alongside gambling and potential money-laundering offences.
Police also seized cash in multiple currencies, computers, mobile phones, passports, and other electronic devices believed to have been used in managing the gambling platforms.
Investigators estimate that at least 75 online betting websites were linked to the operation, while efforts are ongoing to trace the masterminds and financial sponsors behind the network.
Officials said 275 of those detained have already been formally named as suspects, with others still undergoing interrogation.
Those charged could face up to nine years in prison under Indonesia’s criminal and immigration laws, along with substantial financial penalties.
Authorities noted that similar transnational cybercrime operations have recently been uncovered in other Indonesian cities, including Surabaya, Bali, and Batam, highlighting growing concerns over cross-border digital fraud and gambling syndicates.
Security officials also warned that online gambling networks previously dismantled in countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia appear to be relocating operations to other Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, following intensified enforcement elsewhere.
Indonesia, where online gambling is illegal, has stepped up nationwide enforcement efforts amid rising concerns over organised cybercrime and illegal digital financial networks operating across borders.
