Indonesian police arrest 320 foreigners for organizing online gambling

More than 300 foreign nationals have been arrested in the Indonesian capital in a raid on an alleged online gambling operation, police said.

A total of 321 foreigners, mostly from Vietnam, were arrested at an office building near the city's Chinatown district, which investigators described as a hub for more than 70 online gambling sites targeting people outside Indonesia, based on marketing records and digital evidence collected during the raid.

Among those arrested were 228 Vietnamese, 57 Chinese, and the rest came from Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia, said Wira Satya Triputra, director of general crime at the Indonesian National Police. He said the search for the network's organizers and financiers was ongoing.

"We caught the suspects red-handed while they were carrying out activities related to online gambling," Triputra told a press conference. He said the operation was organized in a structured manner, with workers assigned to jobs such as customer service, telemarketing and financial administration. Police estimate the operation lasted about two months.

Authorities said many gambling networks frequently relocate their operations to avoid detection, and often hire foreign workers to manage websites and customer service.

Triputra said many of the suspects entered Indonesia using short-term tourist visas and overstayed their permitted stays while working in the operation, adding that "in addition to suspicions of gambling and money laundering, immigration violations were also uncovered."

Police seized cash in multiple currencies, computers, mobile phones, passports and other equipment believed to have been used to operate the gambling sites. Authorities believe the group operated at least 75 betting platforms.

Those charged after questioning could face up to nine years in prison under Indonesian criminal and immigration laws, as well as a fine of two billion rupiah (about $116.000).

Similar operations have been uncovered in recent months in Surabaya, Bali and Batam, highlighting the need for better coordination between law enforcement and government institutions in combating online gambling and related fraud, said Untung Widjatmoko, secretary of the Indonesian Interpol bureau.