Jakarta, July 17, 2025 — Indonesia’s National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) has dismantled an international online gambling network linked to servers in Cambodia and China, in a major crackdown that spanned multiple cities across the country.
Brigadier General Djuhandhani Rahardjo Puro, Director of General Crimes at Bareskrim, confirmed the arrest of 22 suspects during coordinated raids in Bogor, Bekasi (West Java), Tangerang (Banten), and Denpasar (Bali).
“These 22 individuals include system operators, server managers, and financial administrators,” Djuhandhani stated at a press briefing in Jakarta on Friday, July 17, 2025.
The suspects, identified by initials such as RA, NKP, SY, IK, and several others, were allegedly running illegal gambling operations through two prominent domains in Indonesia: Tanjung899 and Akasia899, both of which are believed to be hosted on servers based in Cambodia and China.
The network reportedly worked in close collaboration with gambling agents from China and Cambodia. Their method: using Indonesian-based technical teams who exploited pre-registered SIM cards to create mass WhatsApp accounts.
These accounts were then used to flood millions of phone numbers with promotional gambling messages, encouraging recipients to join the platforms by highlighting easy deposits and guaranteed withdrawals.
“Each day, a single operator could create up to 500 WhatsApp accounts and blast thousands of promotional messages offering bonuses, quick payouts, and enticing win rates,” Djuhandhani explained.
Communication within the syndicate was managed through Telegram and WhatsApp groups, where they shared contact lists and coordinated revenues.
The network’s illicit profits were laundered through bank accounts held under nominee names and disguised via cryptocurrency, which was funneled through various payment gateways, masking transactions as ordinary goods purchases.
“These operations brought in profits estimated in the hundreds of billions of rupiah within just one year,” Djuhandhani added.
In addition to the arrests, police confiscated substantial evidence, including:
- 354 mobile phones
- 23 computer CPU units
- 1 vehicle
- 1 modem
- 2,648 SIM cards from various providers
- 18 ATM cards
This investigation highlights the growing reach of international online gambling rings and the evolving tactics they use to bypass local regulations — often hiding in plain sight through digital platforms and untraceable financial tools.
(antara)
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