The Indonesian Immigration Bureau conducted a raid on Batam Island, arresting 210 foreign nationals suspected of participating in online investment scams, and seized a large quantity of electronic equipment and passports.
Hendarsah Marantoko, a senior official from Indonesia's Immigration Ministry, stated in a press release on Friday that authorities conducted the operation on the 6th of this month in an apartment building in Batam City. Those apprehended included 125 Vietnamese, 84 Chinese, and 1 Myanmar national, of whom 163 were men and 47 were women.
He said that most of the suspects entered Indonesia on tourist or visitor visas, but these types of visas do not permit them to work or conduct business in Indonesia.
He added that after receiving immigration intelligence in mid-April, the authorities conducted several weeks of surveillance and analysis before finally targeting the location for the crackdown.
“Based on the surveillance results, authorities found that the location was suspected of being used as an operations center for organized criminal activities, which was clearly inconsistent with the stated purpose of their residency permits.”
Investigations indicated that the group was suspected of luring victims, mainly from Europe and Vietnam, to join high-return fraudulent investment platforms through social media.
Law enforcement officers seized 131 desktop computers, 93 laptops, 492 mobile phones, 52 monitors, 198 passports, and several currency counting machines at the scene.
Currently, all suspects have been detained at an immigration detention center awaiting deportation. If further investigation reveals involvement in criminal offenses, authorities will coordinate with police to carry out subsequent legal actions.
He said that most of the suspects entered Indonesia on tourist or visitor visas, but these types of visas do not permit them to work or conduct business in Indonesia.
He added that after receiving immigration intelligence in mid-April, the authorities conducted several weeks of surveillance and analysis before finally targeting the location for the crackdown.
“Based on the surveillance results, authorities found that the location was suspected of being used as an operations center for organized criminal activities, which was clearly inconsistent with the stated purpose of their residency permits.”
Investigations indicated that the group was suspected of luring victims, mainly from Europe and Vietnam, to join high-return fraudulent investment platforms through social media.
Law enforcement officers seized 131 desktop computers, 93 laptops, 492 mobile phones, 52 monitors, 198 passports, and several currency counting machines at the scene.
Currently, all suspects have been detained at an immigration detention center awaiting deportation. If further investigation reveals involvement in criminal offenses, authorities will coordinate with police to carry out subsequent legal actions.