Bareskrim Also Charges Batam Casino Owner with Money Laundering

The Criminal Investigation Unit of the Indonesian National Police (Bareskrim Polri) has also charged Suwanda alias Akau, the owner of the casino gambling operation at Nine Stage Lounge and Bar in Batam, Riau Islands, under the Money Laundering Crime (TPPU) article. ‘The suspect, Suwanda alias Akau, is not only charged with casino gambling offences but also with money laundering,’ said Deputy Chief of Bareskrim Polri, Inspector General Nunung Syaifuddin, in a written statement on Saturday (29/8).

Bareskrim Polri had previously raided Nine Stage Lounge and Bar at the Nagoya Indah shophouses in Batam on Saturday (15/8). During the raid, police detained 197 people and seized cash amounting to Rp7.7 billion.

Nunung revealed that the operation was the result of intensive investigation lasting nearly three months. Information about the casino activity was obtained by police from public reports and media monitoring. ‘This enforcement action originated not only from public information but also from information from my colleagues in Batam and from the media. We then took a step to raid and take action against casino-type gambling activity,’ he said.

Of the 197 people detained, investigators identified various roles in the casino’s operations. The breakdown includes one owner with the initial A (Suwanda), two managers, five cashiers, one supervisor, 25 chip exchangers, 65 dealers or croupiers, two marketing staff, and 96 players. Of the 96 players arrested, 10 were foreign nationals. ‘The details are seven Chinese nationals, two Singaporean nationals, and one Malaysian national. The other 86 were Indonesian citizens,’ he added.

Police also seized various mechanical and electronic gambling equipment, including 16 shooting or bubble machines, 54 skater machines, 22 mahjong machines, one dice machine, and 14 fish shooting machines.

For further investigation, the Mobile Detective Unit (Satresmob) of Bareskrim Polri brought nine main suspects, including Suwanda alias Akau, to Jakarta on Tuesday (18/8). Head of Satresmob Bareskrim Polri, Senior Commissioner Arsya Khadafi, said the suspects would undergo intensive examination at National Police Headquarters. In addition, a joint team also searched a luxury house at Garden Avenue Residence, Rosewood Cluster, Bengkong, Batam. ‘The results will be conveyed later at a subsequent release,’ he said.