The Director of Special Economic Crimes at the Indonesian National\nPolice Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri), Brigadier\nGeneral Ade Safri Simanjuntak, has emphasised that disputes within\ndigital finance platforms that result in unilateral actions against\ncustomer assets can enter the realm of criminal law. While initial\nrelationships are governed by civil law, this does not preclude\npotential legal violations if unlawful elements are discovered.<\/p>\n
Ade explained that disputes or defaults on digital platforms\nessentially stem from the civil agreements between the parties involved.\n\u201cIf disputes arise regarding the execution of rights and obligations\nthat remain within the scope of the agreement, the resolution can\nfundamentally be pursued through civil law mechanisms,\u201d Ade stated on\nMonday (29\/06\/2026).<\/p>\n
However, Ade highlighted that the civil corridor does not\nautomatically close the door to criminal law enforcement. Investigators\nmay intervene if platform managers are indicated to have engaged in\nmanipulation or the unilateral seizure of digital assets without the\npermission of the legitimate owners.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as investigations find acts of controlling, transferring,\nusing, or converting customers\u2019 assets unlawfully without right,\naccompanied by the intent to benefit oneself or others and causing loss\nto the asset owners, such acts have the potential to meet the elements\nof a criminal offence,\u201d said Ade.<\/p>\n
This statement provides much-needed legal certainty for consumer\nprotection in the digital commodity sector. Recently, the public has\nhighlighted frequent disputes involving digital asset exchanges that\nperform unilateral freezing or liquidation of coins following cyber\nincidents, citing standard clauses within their applications as\njustification.<\/p>\n
Under the latest legal regulations, the unlawful transfer of assets\nby platform managers could potentially be prosecuted under embezzlement\ncharges, as stipulated in Article 488 of Law Number 1 of 2023 (the New\nCriminal Code).<\/p>\n
Ade added that his division will continue to prioritise the principle\nof caution and the fulfilment of valid evidence before escalating\ndigital disputes to the enforcement stage. \u201cTherefore, the conclusion\nregarding the existence or non-existence of a criminal offence will\ndepend heavily on the legal facts and evidence obtained during the\ninvestigation and inquiry processes,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n
It is noted that a hack occurred on the Indodax system on 11\nSeptember 2024, resulting in the loss of several crypto assets,\nincluding approximately 68 million Botxcoin tokens. The event was\ndetected by the Web3 security firm Cyvers Alerts, which reported\nsuspicious transactions from Indodax wallets across several blockchain\nnetworks.<\/p>\n
Cyvers Alerts recorded over 150 transactions with total estimated\nlosses reaching US$ 18.2 million, or approximately Rp 280.3 billion.\nHowever, Indodax CEO Oscar Darmawan maintained that no member balances\nwere affected by the cyberattack.<\/p>\n
\u201cCrypto and Rupiah balances in Indodax accounts remain 100 per cent\nsafe. We have taken strict security measures to ensure that no member\nfunds were affected,\u201d said Oscar.<\/p>\n
Despite Indodax\u2019s assurances, several Botxcoin owners claimed to have\nsuffered losses when trading resumed. Some traders reported that the\nnumber of Botx tokens in their accounts had decreased, while others were\nunable to trade the tokens due to a suspended status.<\/p>\n
The issue escalated when, on 20 November 2025, Indodax converted BotX\nbalances to Rupiah at an internal price of approximately Rp 342 per\ntoken. This conversion was conducted without the consent of account\nholders, triggering consumer complaints to the Financial Services\nAuthority (OJK).<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-warn-unilateral-liquidation-of-digital-assets-including-crypto-may-lead-to-criminal-charges-1782715835", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }