Identified: 15 Sponsors Behind 320 Foreign Nationals in Hayam Wuruk Online Gambling

The Directorate General (Ditjen) of Immigration, Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Services, has successfully identified the sponsors (guarantors) responsible for the presence of 320 foreign nationals (WNA) suspected of being part of an international online gambling (judol) syndicate in the Hayam Wuruk area, West Jakarta.

Immigration Director General Hendarsam Marantoko stated that 15 sponsors have been identified as responsible for bringing hundreds of WNA involved in judol.

“15 guarantors or sponsors have been identified as responsible for the presence of these WNA in Indonesia,” said Hendarsam in his statement in Jakarta on Wednesday (13/5).

Ditjen Imigrasi is currently delving into allegations of immigration crimes committed by the 320 WNA suspected of being part of the international judol syndicate through a joint investigation with Polri.

The investigation has been ongoing since the 320 WNA were transferred to the Jakarta Immigration Detention House (Rudenim) and the Directorate General of Immigration on Sunday (10/5).

Hendarsam emphasised that in processing allegations of criminal acts, Ditjen Imigrasi not only targets individual foreigners but also conducts in-depth examinations of the sponsors or guarantors.

Immigration also has the authority to prosecute if both the foreigners and sponsors show indications of involvement in criminal acts.

“As regulated in the immigration law, our investigators (PPNS) also have the authority to prosecute allegations of immigration crimes committed by either the foreigners or their sponsors,” stressed Hendarsam.

Previously, on Saturday (9/5), Polri arrested 321 people related to online gambling (judol) crimes of an international network.

Then, on Sunday, Polri announced that 320 people involved in online gambling were foreign nationals (WNA) and their detention was handed over to the Directorate General of Immigration of the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Services (Kemenimipas).

The 320 arrested WNA consist of 228 Vietnamese, 57 Chinese, 13 Myanmar, 11 Laotian, 5 Thai, 3 Malaysian, and 3 Cambodian nationals. Meanwhile, one other is an Indonesian national and is being further processed at Bareskrim Polri.