Indonesian police have arrested 321 foreign nationals in Jakarta in one of the country's largest crackdowns on illegal online gambling. The raid, which took place at a commercial building near Chinatown, targeted a syndicate operating over 70 gambling websites.
Among those detained were 228 Vietnamese and 57 Chinese nationals, with others from Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Police director Wira Satya Triputra said the suspects were caught in the act and that the operation had been running for about two months.
Authorities seized cash in multiple currencies, computers, mobile phones, and passports. Many of the suspects had entered Indonesia on short-term visas and overstayed, leading to additional immigration charges. Those charged could face up to nine years in prison and fines of 2 billion rupiah (£84,000).
Police are investigating the organisers and financial backers, with 275 individuals already named as suspects. The crackdown follows similar operations in Surabaya, Bali, and Batam, as online gambling syndicates relocate from Cambodia and Myanmar to Indonesia.
