Indonesia detains over 300 foreigners in gambling crackdown
Indonesian police detained over 300 foreigners, mostly Vietnamese, for running an online gambling ring in Jakarta.Summary
Indonesian authorities detained more than 300 foreign nationals this week for allegedly operating an online gambling ring in Jakarta. Police raided a building on May 7, detaining 321 foreigners and seizing phones, passports, laptops and computers. Among those detained, 228 were Vietnamese, 57 Chinese, 11 Lao, 5 Thai, and 3 each Cambodian and Malaysian. About 275 face charges of gambling and money laundering, with the ring having started about two months ago and targeting victims outside Indonesia. Police noted that many scammers have moved operations to Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries following a crackdown in China. Elsewhere this week, immigration authorities raided an apartment building in Batam, arresting 210 foreigners suspected of running an investment scam. In February, police raided two villas on Bali and arrested 39 Indian nationals for an illegal gambling operation. Official data shows online gambling turnover exceeded 280 trillion rupiah (about S$20.3 billion) in 2025, with over 12 million Indonesians estimated to be involved in the illicit activity.
(Source：The Straits Times)