Kepri Police Arrest Five in Batam Online Gambling Network

The Kepulauan Riau (Kepri) Regional Police have arrested five Indonesian nationals in connection with an alleged online gambling (judol) operation in Batam. The suspects, comprising four men and one woman, were apprehended at the Citraland housing complex in the Belian sub-district and are currently being detained at the Kepri Police’s Criminal Investigation Directorate.

Kepri Police Chief Inspector General Asep Safrudin, through Head of Public Relations Senior Commissioner Nona Pricillia Ohei, stated that the case was uncovered after investigators detected a network running gambling activities via digital platforms. The main controller allegedly sent website links and online gambling applications to the operational team based in Batam.

“Among the five suspects, one acted as the leader. The other four served as operators, marketers, and financial managers,” she said on Thursday (25/6). The suspects are believed to have divided tasks, ranging from managing accounts and marketing access to online gambling, to handling the flow of funds from the illegal activities.

During the operation, police seized several pieces of evidence, including four laptops, one laptop still undergoing forensic laboratory examination, nine mobile phones, two iPads, and two smartwatches. Investigators also confiscated the suspects’ digital accounts, including mobile banking, investment accounts, a Binance account, and a crypto exchange account allegedly used for online gambling transactions.

Additional assets seized include IDR 1,300,255,758 in cash, gold bars, gold bracelets, gold chain necklaces, and a cryptocurrency balance of 8,048 USDT. The suspects reportedly received a salary from the network, earning between 10,000 and 20,000 RMB, equivalent to approximately IDR 26 million.

The suspects are charged under Article 426 of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of nine years in prison. They are also charged under Article 27 Paragraph (2) of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law, as amended, specifically regarding content related to gambling. Police confirmed that all evidence, including assets believed to be derived from online gambling profits, has been secured for legal proceedings, and investigations are ongoing to uncover other potential members of the network.