Gresik Civil Servants Involved in Surabaya UTBK Cheating Syndicate Selling Genuine KTP Blanks for Rp50,000

A syndicate of UTBK (Computer-Based Written Examination) cheats for the Joint Selection for State University Admission (SBMPTN) arrested in Surabaya involved several civil servants (ASN) from a district in Gresik, East Java. They are suspected of supplying genuine KTP blanks to the syndicate. These blanks were used to forge identities and population documents for the proxies to resemble their actual clients or registrants.

Surabaya Police Chief Commissioner Luthfie Sulistiawan stated that the blanks used by the proxies were not amateur forgeries but illegally obtained state documents from government offices. “Those [KTP blanks] are from the suspects. In collaboration with ASN employees from the district office,” Luthfie said at the Surabaya Metropolitan Police Headquarters on Saturday (9/5).

The two ASN suspects, ITR (38) and CDR (35), are recorded as non-permanent civil servants (P3K) from a district in Gresik Regency. Based on the investigation, the two ASN, now designated as suspects, exploited their authority and access at the district office to steal KTP blanks. Documents that should be highly confidential and restricted were instead traded to the cheating syndicate at very low prices.

“Yes, the ASN, the district officials, are already suspects. So they took [KTP blanks] from their workplace and sold them,” Luthfie explained.

Police seized at least 25 KTP blanks from the syndicate. Ironically, these high-security state documents were valued at only Rp50,000 per sheet by the ASN. “So there were 25 sheets that we seized yesterday. Each one sold for around Rp50,000,” he said.

The involvement of insiders made the identity cards used by the UTBK proxies perfectly resemble official documents, making them difficult to detect by exam supervisors visually. The syndicate, operating for nine years since 2017, was highly organised. They matched the proxies’ faces with the modified data on genuine KTPs supplied by the district ASN.

“So from 2017 to 2026, meaning nine years, the main suspect has been carrying out or executing the action,” Luthfie revealed.

For their actions, the suspects face multiple charges, including Law No. 23 of 2006 on Population Administration.

Previously, Surabaya Police dismantled a UTBK cheating syndicate for SBMPTN that had operated for nine years. Fourteen suspects were arrested, ranging from high-achieving students, private employees, civil servants (ASN), to doctors. The 14 suspects include NRS (21) student; IKP (41) private employee; PIF (21) student; FP (35) private employee; BPH (29) doctor; DP (46) doctor; MI (31) doctor. Then RZ (46) trader; HRE (18) student; BH (55) entrepreneur; SP (43) private employee; SA (40) private employee; ITR (38) P3K ASN employee; and CDR (35) P3K ASN employee.

The suspects’ modus operandi involved replacing UTBK participants with highly academically capable proxies. The perpetrators also forged documents such as KTPs, diplomas, and online SNPMB registration data. The operation has run for nine years, at least since 2017 to 2026. The group charged fantastic fees between Rp500 million and Rp700 million per client, depending on the university and major. The more prestigious, the higher the cost.

From these exorbitant fees, field proxies received average payments of Rp20 million to Rp30 million. However, to penetrate top universities and highly competitive majors like medicine, proxy payments could reach Rp75 million.

This syndicate’s operations were not limited to Surabaya or East Java. Police found evidence of inter-provincial networks extending to other islands like Kalimantan.

To date, investigators have identified 114 individuals strongly suspected of being clients or users of the proxy service. Surabaya Police will delve into those already students or even graduates.

In addition to arresting the suspects, police seized various evidence, including identity card printers, photocopies of diplomas, grade transcripts, birth certificates, and family card documents.

The suspects face charges under Article 392 of the Criminal Code and/or Article 69 Paragraph (1) and/or Paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 61 Paragraph (2) and/or Paragraph (3) of Law No. 20 of 2003 on the National Education System in conjunction with Article 20 letter d of the Criminal Code and/or Article 96 in conjunction with Article 5 letter f of Law No. 23 of 2006 on Population Administration.