TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The International Relations Division of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) has detected the pattern of movement of transnational crime syndicates from Cambodia to Indonesia. Their syndicate operates in various crimes such as online gambling, online scam, and love scamming.
The Secretary of the National Central Bureau of Indonesia, Brigadier General Untung Widyatmoko, said that the transnational crime syndicate has relocated to various countries following a massive operation by Cambodian authorities in early 2026. Untung suspects that some of the syndicates switched to Indonesia after receiving offers from their peers.
"Certainly, some of them come here by invitation. Who invited them? Their veteran friends from Cambodia," said Untung at Hayam Wuruk Plaza Tower on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
Untung stated that the majority of online gambling and scam operators mostly come from the Indochina region. They operate in countries like Indonesia by utilizing tourist visas. Besides Indonesia, according to him, the online gambling operators from Cambodia also target several other countries such as the Philippines, Timor Leste, and South Africa.
In a disclosure at Hayam Wuruk Tower, the police arrested 321 foreigners from various countries who operated 75 online gambling sites. The gambling operators acted on the 20th and 21st floors of the building.
They also lived around the building. "Some of them knew their purpose coming here was to work in online gambling," said Wira Satya Triputra, Director of General Crime Investigation of the Indonesian National Police Criminal Investigation Department.
Previously, the Surabaya Metropolitan Police also arrested 44 suspects in cases of kidnapping, human trafficking (TPPO), and online fraud. There were 30 suspects from China, 7 from Taiwan, 4 from Japan, and assisted by 3 Indonesian citizens.
The syndicate operated in an organized manner. They used an online account scheme named "Kurokawa" to deceive victims with offers of free vacations to Vietnam and Cambodia, complete with flight ticket facilities.
The suspects then seized the victims' passports and communication devices to cut off assistance access. The victims were threatened with torture or even organ trafficking if they dared to resist or requested to return to their home country.
Read: Are Cambodian Online Gambling Operators Moving to Indonesia?
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