Central Java Police Uncover Money Laundering Case Disguised as Swallow's Nest Investment, Victim Loses Rp78 Billion
The Central Java Provincial Police’s Special Criminal Investigation Directorate has uncovered a money laundering case (TPPU) using the modus operandi of fictitious investments in the swallow’s nest business. In the case, the victim, initialled UP (40 years old), suffered losses of around Rp78 billion.
The Director of Special Criminal Investigations at Central Java Police, Commissioner Pol Djoko Julianto, revealed that UP is a resident of Semarang City. The victim is a self-employed individual and also a commissioner at a private company, PT NLD. Meanwhile, the suspect is JS (36 years old), a self-employed person also residing in Semarang City.
According to Djoko, JS had planned the fraud against UP since April 2022. “The modus operandi used was fictitious swallow’s nest investments, where the victim was enticed with fantastic profits of up to two to three times the initial capital,” he stated during a press conference at the Central Java Police Special Criminal Investigation Directorate headquarters in Semarang City on Tuesday (31/3/2026).
Djoko said that when carrying out the scheme, JS compiled profit data and business locations in such a way as to attract the victim to invest. In addition, JS prepared several fictitious bank accounts. The aim was to allow the investment funds deposited by the victim to be accessed again and ultimately enter his personal pockets.
Not only that, JS also had a fictitious company to further convince the victim UP. “He (JS) offered enticements, providing information to the victim, making it seem as though he was an actor who could export to China. This is what the perpetrator always conveyed to the reporter, making him tempted to make the investment as presented by the perpetrator,” Djoko explained.
The victim UP deposited funds into the fictitious accounts prepared by the suspect JS between April 2022 and July 2025. “Although promised profits within a few months, the victim never received any response until finally in April 2025 the victim began searching for the perpetrator’s whereabouts and officially reported it to the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate at the beginning of 2026,” Djoko added.