Bareskrim Urges Banks to Tighten Account Openings to Curb Online Gambling Transactions
The Cybercrime Directorate (Dittipidsiber) of the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (Bareskrim) continues its efforts to eradicate online gambling (judol) in Indonesia. Not only targeting operators and organisers, the police are now focusing on cutting off the funding flows or financial transactions associated with the operation of the offences.
The Cybercrime Director of Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General Himawan Bayu Aji, said the banking sector plays a vital role in this prevention strategy. Therefore, he urged banks to tighten their account-opening procedures and heighten vigilance against suspicious transaction patterns.
‘We emphasise that cooperation with banks is crucial, especially in the preventive function,’ Himawan said at a press conference at the Bareskrim building, South Jakarta, on Thursday, 5 March 2026.
‘We urge banks to tighten account-opening procedures by applying the know-your-customer (KYC) and anti-money-laundering (AML) principles rigorously and comprehensively,’ Himawan said.
‘Himawan also urged that no bank accounts pass under oversight to be used as operational channels for gambling. Therefore, he said, an early-warning system in banking would be a crucial instrument for constraining the movements of the perpetrators.’
‘Banks are expected to have early-warning systems to close off the avenues used by actors attempting to abuse our financial system,’ he added.
Separately, Himawan revealed that the police have secured a new agreement with banks to speed up the investigation process for online gambling cases. The examination of suspects’ accounts, which are usually dispersed across various bank branches, can now be centralised.
Thus, the examination of accounts suspected of gambling-related crimes can now be conducted through a more efficient mechanism.
‘We have reached a single agreement that examinations of dispersed accounts used by perpetrators of gambling crimes can be conducted at a single place, namely the head office,’ Himawan said.
According to him, this agreement represents a very good form of inter-ministerial/agency synergy and a concrete solution to accelerate handling of online gambling cases, which are often hampered by cross-regional bureaucratic hurdles.
Previously, the Cybercrime Directorate of Bareskrim Polri handed over Rp 58.1 billion relating to the money-laundering offences from online gambling to be executed by the prosecutor. The money was handed over because the case had become final and binding (inkrah).
Himawan said the handover represents the implementation of Supreme Court Regulation (Perma) No. 1 of 2013 concerning the Procedures for Handling Requests for Asset Seizure in Money-Laundering Offences or Other Criminal Offences.’
‘The Cyber Directorate of Bareskrim Polri conducts strategic activities such as handing over the proceeds of asset seizures to the state,’ said Himawan at the press conference at Bareskrim Polri, South Jakarta, on Thursday, 5 March 2026.
He said that the disclosure of online gambling and TPPU cases represents the development of a report of findings from the Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis Centre (PPATK). The report was followed up by the Cybercrime Directorate at Bareskrim Polri by undertaking blocking measures.
‘We must emphasise that today’s asset seizure is a concrete follow-up to the analysis report (LHA) provided by PPATK to the Cybercrime Directorate of Bareskrim Polri,’ he said.
Himawan stated that the handling of online gambling and TPPU cases is conducted by Bareskrim in cooperation with other ministries and agencies. He assured that the police are serious about tackling online gambling cases.
‘The success of today’s asset seizure is strong evidence of inter-ministerial/agency synergy. This synergy ensures that the legal process against online gambling remains a concern we all share,’ he concluded.