Indonesian National Police Uncover Online Gambling Syndicate Using AI to Evade Blocking

The Criminal Investigation Directorate (Dittipidsiber) of the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) has uncovered a network of online gambling syndicates utilising technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to evade website blocking and disguise the flow of criminal proceeds.

Brigadier General Adex Yudisante, Director of Cyber Crimes at Bareskrim Polri, stated that technological advancements allow perpetrators to rapidly replace the websites and bank accounts used for online gambling operations.

“The concept between demand and the market is almost the same. While other crimes might be committed out of necessity, in gambling, regardless of the circumstances, they are the ones seeking it,” Adex said during a press conference on Thursday, 3 September 2026.

“Consequently, when demand is high, there are inevitably parties looking to exploit it,” he added.

Adex explained that perpetrators use technology to create nominee accounts and implement layering patterns to disguise the movement of funds. This technology is also used to accelerate the creation of new websites immediately after previous ones have been blocked.

“Therefore, when a website account is blocked, they will quickly form a new one. When a personal bank account is closed, they have already moved to another account,” he noted.

Adex explained that these practices are becoming increasingly difficult to manage because online gambling is borderless. Perpetrators can station different parts of their operations in various countries, ranging from marketing activities to website management.

“We also wish to convey that in the cyber world, especially regarding online gambling, it is borderless. Marketing might be located in one country, such as Cambodia, while the website managers could be in China, or other countries,” he said.

According to Adex, this situation requires cross-border collaboration, involving various ministries, agencies, and law enforcement officials to uncover these online gambling networks.

He stated that technology is also being used by perpetrators to replace manual account management with bot systems or AI. This pattern allows perpetrators to move swiftly whenever the digital infrastructure or bank accounts used are targeted by authorities.

“So, the concept of online gambling, as we have stated from the beginning, is not a concept of gaming, but a concept of fraud,” concluded Adex.