Jakarta Police Uncover Arcade Gambling Ring with Monthly Turnover of IDR 2.1 Billion

Polda Metro Jaya has uncovered a gambling operation masquerading as an arcade in North and West Jakarta, operating under the names ‘Dissney Timezone’ and ‘Sky Timezone’. The Jakarta Metro Police Chief, Commissioner General Asep Edi Suheri, stated that 69 individuals have been named as suspects in the case. ‘In this case, investigators have named 69 suspects, consisting of three venue owners or organisers, 19 employees, and 47 players,’ Asep said during a press conference on Friday (26/6). The Director of General Criminal Investigation at Polda Metro Jaya, Senior Commissioner Iman Imanuddin, explained that the gambling operation offered various games, including board card machines, royal game machines, slot game machines, roulette machines, fish shooting machines, bird shooting machines, and spinning dragon machines. Iman detailed that players were required to pay a deposit, either in cash or via transfer, which was then converted into vouchers. Players could then select the gambling machine they wished to play. If a player lost, their points would be forfeited; if they won, their points would increase and a referee would exchange the points back into vouchers. According to the investigation, the gambling turnover from the two locations reached IDR 2.1 billion per month. Police also seized evidence including IDR 1.3 billion in cash, 21.95 grams of gold, three safes, vouchers in denominations from 50 to 1,000, various gambling equipment, and 39 machines. The suspects are charged under Article 426 of the Criminal Code on gambling, which carries a maximum penalty of 9 years in prison, and/or Article 607 of the Criminal Code on money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years. In a separate case, Polda Metro Jaya also dismantled an online gambling, digital pornography, and money laundering operation run through an application called HOT51. Iman explained that the HOT51 application is an electronic system providing gambling services and live-streaming pornography. ‘To reap profits, this syndicate deceived the national banking system by using deposit channels in the form of virtual accounts from banks managed by payment gateway PT PDN, virtual accounts managed by payment gateway PT HSR, and corporate accounts belonging to PT KAJP,’ Iman stated. Police have blocked 118 bank accounts and virtual accounts and seized IDR 14.962 billion in cash, 33 corporate deeds, and 28 pieces of electronic evidence. Nine individual suspects have been named, with one listed as a fugitive. The suspects are charged under Article 426 of the Criminal Code on gambling and/or Article 407 and Article 607 of the Criminal Code. In addition to the individual suspects, police have also named five corporations as suspects: PT HSR, PT PDN, PT MDS, PT CDS, and PT IDI. ‘We have named these five corporations as suspects for carrying out the operational distribution of finances from online gambling and live-stream pornography,’ Iman said. The corporations are charged under Articles 118, 119, 120, 121, and 122 in conjunction with Articles 45, 46, 47, 48, and 49 of the Criminal Code.