KPK Reveals Immigration Officers Extorted Overstaying Foreign Nationals to Avoid Deportation

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has examined several employees from the West Jakarta and Depok Immigration Offices in connection with an extortion case involving limited stay permits that has implicated Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections (Imipas) Silmy Karim. The KPK stated that immigration office staff allegedly extorted foreign nationals who were facing deportation for violating their stay permits.

“Regarding the enforcement action against immigration violations, there are sanctions such as deportation and others. It is alleged that there were acts of extortion carried out by immigration parties,” said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo at the KPK’s Merah Putih building in South Jakarta on Thursday (2/7/2026).

Budi explained that foreign nationals who were proven to have violated their stay permits should have been subject to sanctions, including deportation. However, immigration office staff allegedly extorted the foreigners to prevent the sanctions from being applied. “For example, a person who should be deported is instead asked for money so that the sanction is not imposed. That is roughly the modus operandi carried out in the field,” Budi said.

Budi further explained that investigators are looking into the receipt of money by immigration employees, particularly in the West Jakarta area, which was then partly given to Ronald Arman Abdullah (RAA), the former Head of the Central Jakarta Immigration Office for 2024-2025 and Head of the Class I Non-TPI West Jakarta Immigration Office for 2025-2026. “We are deepening the investigation into the alleged receipt of money by employees, and also the alleged receipt by Saudara RAA, who has been named a suspect and is from the West Jakarta Immigration Office,” Budi stated.

Regarding the examination of witnesses from the Depok Immigration Office, Budi mentioned that investigators are looking into similar extortion practices carried out against a number of foreign nationals. “In addition, today investigators are examining witnesses from the Depok Immigration Office. The allegations are similar, involving the receipt of money related to immigration services at the Depok Immigration Office,” he added.

The case is believed to have started when Silmy Karim served as Director General of Immigration in 2023. The KPK estimates that the total amount of money collected in this case reached IDR 145.5 billion. The KPK also suspects that Silmy received an allocation of IDR 100 million per week.