287 Foreign Nationals Named Suspects in Hayam Wuruk Online Gambling Case, House Commission III Pushes for Financiers to Be Investigated

Deputy Chairman of House Commission III, Rano Alfath, has commended the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim Polri) for uncovering an international-scale online gambling base in the Hayam Wuruk area of West Jakarta, leading to 287 foreign nationals being named as suspects. Rano stated that Indonesia must not become a safe haven for online gambling syndicates. “I appreciate the hard work of Bareskrim Polri in uncovering this international online gambling network. Operations like this show that the police are not only targeting surface-level perpetrators but are beginning to dismantle the operational centres and networks that have been working in an organised manner. This is a commendable step and must be supervised until it is completed,” Rano said in a statement on Saturday (27/06/2026). According to him, this success is proof that the eradication of online gambling is becoming more targeted. He noted that authorities are no longer merely blocking sites or arresting field operatives, but are starting to dismantle the network structures running these illegal businesses. However, Rano cautioned that the legal process should not stop at the operators or technical workers alone. He urged authorities to trace the parties controlling the network, the financiers, and the flow of funds from these activities. “The most important thing now is to ensure that investigators truly unravel this network to its roots. Who is controlling it, who are the financiers, how does the money flow, and whether there are domestic parties who facilitated or protected their operations. Do not let only the people working on the ground be touched, while the main actors escape legal accountability,” he stressed. Rano also encouraged the National Police to strengthen cooperation with law enforcement agencies in other countries, as the case involves a transnational network. “Because this involves an international network, the handling must certainly be cross-border. I am confident the National Police has the capacity to build cooperation with authorities in other countries so that networks operating abroad can also be uncovered. The clear objective is to prevent Indonesia from being used as a base of operations by such syndicates again,” he said. He confirmed his party would continue to support efforts to eradicate online gambling, stating that the war against it must be comprehensive. “Online gambling has become a serious problem whose impact is directly felt by the public. Many families have lost their savings, fallen into debt, and not a few have ended up entangled in other criminal acts. Therefore, its eradication must not be half-hearted. I hope this disclosure becomes a gateway to dismantling larger networks and provides a deterrent effect for anyone who tries to use Indonesia as a place to run this illegal business,” Rano concluded. It is known that the foreign national suspects come from various countries. Deputy Chief of Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General Nunung Syaifudin, initially stated that 321 foreign nationals were detained from the Hayam Wuruk Plaza Tower building last May. However, not all of those detained were named as suspects. “A total of 287 foreign nationals from various countries have been named as suspects,” Nunung said at a press conference at the Bareskrim building in South Jakarta on Friday (26/6). The suspects consist of 76 Chinese nationals, three Laotians, two Malaysians, 15 Myanmar nationals, six Thais, and 185 Vietnamese nationals. In addition, the Bareskrim General Crimes Directorate team also detained four Indonesian nationals suspected of facilitating and being involved in the operations of the online gambling network. “Another 35 foreign nationals are still under further investigation regarding their involvement,” he added. Bareskrim Polri also seized electronic evidence including 594 mobile phones, 382 laptops, 179 monitors and computers, 11 Mac Mini units, as well as routers and other digital devices. The suspects held various roles, ranging from customer service to administrators.