SP-Indonesia.com, Indonesia – The Directorate General of Immigration at the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Services, along with police, have uncovered suspected online investment fraud and online gambling involving 210 foreign nationals in Batam City, Riau Islands.
The Secretary of the National Central Bureau (NCB) of Interpol Indonesia, Brigadier General Untung Widyatmoko, stated that the presence of hundreds of foreign nationals is suspected to be linked to an international syndicate that has previously been prosecuted in various regions of Indonesia.
“The alleged online investment fraud involves 210 foreign nationals in Batam, Riau Islands. They are suspected to be part of the same network as the syndicate previously prosecuted by the Indonesian National Police,” Brigadier General Untung Widyatmoko told reporters during a press conference on the second floor of the Batam Class I Special Immigration Office (TPI) with the Riau Islands Police Chief, Friday afternoon (May 8, 2026).
According to Untung, the syndicate’s pattern and network bear similarities to cases previously uncovered by authorities in Surabaya and Denpasar. In previous investigations, officers even found imitation Bank of China documents and attributes resembling Chinese and Japanese police uniforms.
“These hundreds of foreign nationals are closely linked to fraud cases previously uncovered by the Immigration Office and the National Police in several regions, such as Bali, East Java, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Bogor, and Sukabumi,” he emphasized.
He added that Indonesia has now become a new target for an international cybercrime syndicate that previously operated in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.
“The shift in the fraud syndicate’s operational location and modus operandi reflects a disbandment from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam, which has now shifted to Indonesia as a new destination,” Untung explained.
In the Batam case, authorities suspect the foreign nationals are conducting online scams and online gambling in an organized manner. The National Police and Immigration Office will continue to strengthen cross-agency coordination to dismantle the network.
“Of the 210 foreign nationals who committed online scams and online gambling, the National Police and Immigration are committed to continuing to work with all parties to take firm action against the perpetrators of these crimes,” he concluded.
(Indonesian Reporter: Jim)
