Indonesian Police Uncover 70-Site Illegal Gambling Network and Detain More Than 300 Foreigners

Indonesian authorities have detained 321 foreign nationals in connection with an alleged illegal online gambling operation in Jakarta, police said, according to the South China Morning Post.

The foreigners, most of them from Vietnam, were arrested in a commercial building near the city’s Chinatown area. Investigators described the site as a hub for more than 70 online gambling websites that targeted players outside Indonesia, citing marketing records and digital evidence collected during the raid.

Those detained included 228 Vietnamese nationals, 57 Chinese nationals and citizens of Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia.

Police said 275 of the detainees had been formally identified as suspects, while the others were still being questioned.

Police said the operation was highly organized, with workers assigned to roles including customer service, telemarketing and financial administration. Preliminary findings suggest the operation had been running for about two months.

Officers seized computers, mobile phones, passports, cash in several currencies and other equipment believed to have been used to manage the gambling sites. Investigators are also looking into possible immigration violations, as many of the suspects allegedly entered Indonesia on short-term visitor visas and overstayed while working for the operation.

Police said investigators were still tracing the organizers and financial backers behind the network.

Officials said the case reflected a broader regional shift. After crackdowns on illegal online gambling and online scam operations in Cambodia and Myanmar, some operators may be relocating to other countries in the region, including Indonesia.

If convicted, the suspects could face up to nine years in prison under Indonesia’s criminal and immigration laws and a fine of up to 2 billion Indonesian rupiah, or about €100,000.