Corrections Directorate Clarifies: Inmate Ran Online Scam from Pematangsiantar Prison, Not Nusakambangan

The Directorate General of Corrections (Ditjenpas) at the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections has refuted claims that a prisoner on Nusakambangan Island masterminded an online fraud operation. Spokesperson Rika Aprianti clarified that the inmate, identified by the initials IJS, was serving time at the Pematangsiantar Narcotics Prison in North Sumatra when the alleged crimes took place.

Rika explained that IJS was transferred to the Maximum Security Prison in Ngaseman, Nusakambangan, on 6 June 2026, as a disciplinary measure after he was caught using a mobile phone inside the Pematangsiantar facility. As a result, he was placed on Register F, which revokes his conditional rights, including remission and parole. The police investigation later revealed that the fraud was reported by the victim in May, before his transfer.

Following the police findings, the corrections directorate facilitated a formal examination of IJS at the Nusakambangan prison on 21 July 2026, with prison security officers present. Rika stressed that Nusakambangan remains a highly sterile environment for inmate rehabilitation, with strict security levels ranging from super-maximum to minimum. She affirmed the directorate’s full commitment to collaborating with the East Java Police to thoroughly investigate the case and ensure that any offenders, whether inmates or officers, face sanctions in accordance with the law.