North Jakarta Immigration Detains Two Chinese Nationals for Using Fictitious Companies to Obtain Residency Permits
JAKARTA — The Class I Immigration Office of North Jakarta successfully apprehended two Chinese nationals on Monday (23/6/2025). The pair were suspected of committing immigration violations by manipulating company documents to obtain residency permits.
Head of the Class I Immigration Office of North Jakarta, Rendra Mauliansyah, confirmed the arrests in an official statement on Thursday (26/6/2025). He said the surveillance operation was integrated with a programme by the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) to ensure foreign investors comply with regulations.
The North Jakarta Immigration team apprehended the two suspects, ZM and ZY, in the Penjaringan area of North Jakarta. Investigations revealed that ZM was using a Limited Stay Permit (ITAS) as an investor in PT LSTTI, whilst ZY relied on an ITAS sponsored by PT DHI.
However, further examination uncovered alarming facts. ZM claimed PT LSTTI was his company, officially registered under Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights No. AHU-0091884.AH.01.01 of 2024. The company was originally registered at an address in South Jakarta but had since moved to Penjaringan. More suspiciously, ZM admitted that PT LSTTI was only established in April 2025 and had not commenced operations at all.
Immigration officers requested supporting documents such as the Investment Activity Report (LKPM), articles of association, and financial statements, but neither suspect was able to provide them. In the LKPM, ZM claimed to have invested Rp10.395 billion in a local company. However, upon examination, he admitted to having deposited only Rp68 million.
"This is a clear indication of data falsification," Rendra stated firmly.
Meanwhile, ZY was equally problematic. He claimed to be the owner of PT DHI, located in Pinangsia, West Jakarta, since 2022. The owner of PT DHI claimed the company ran an ice cream distribution business from a factory in Bekasi whilst also importing steel directly from China. However, when asked for operational details, ZY was unable to provide an explanation. He claimed not to know the number of employees because they "only come when there are imported goods". Worse still, since January 2025, the office had seen no activity whatsoever.
The North Jakarta Immigration team immediately conducted field inspections. The results showed that PT LSTTI was merely a virtual office registered since November 2024 with no actual activity. The investigation team discovered that the four-storey shophouse belonging to PT DHI in Pinangsia was completely empty with no trace of business activity.
"After coordinating with BKPM, both companies were declared fictitious," Rendra revealed.
The two foreign nationals had deliberately created sham companies to easily obtain residency permits. Their actions violated Article 123(a) of Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration. For these violations, ZM and ZY will be deported to China.
This case serves as a stern warning to foreign investors who attempt to manipulate the system. North Jakarta Immigration stated it would continue to tighten surveillance to prevent similar practices in the future.
The case exposed a modus operandi whereby foreign nationals exploit legal loopholes to obtain illegal residency permits. By creating fictitious companies, they deceived immigration authorities and BKPM. However, the swift action of the North Jakarta Immigration office successfully uncovered these fraudulent practices. Firm measures such as deportation are expected to serve as a deterrent.
The government, for its part, needs to evaluate the verification system for sponsor companies and must leverage technology and integrated databases to detect fictitious companies at an earlier stage.
"We have zero tolerance for violations, regardless of who the perpetrators are," Rendra affirmed. Going forward, surveillance will be increasingly stringent. Foreign nationals wishing to reside in Indonesia must ensure all their documents are legal and transparent. Anyone who dares to act deceitfully must be prepared to face the consequences: immigration authorities will deport them and place them on a blacklist.
Head of the Class I Immigration Office of North Jakarta, Rendra Mauliansyah, confirmed the arrests in an official statement on Thursday (26/6/2025). He said the surveillance operation was integrated with a programme by the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) to ensure foreign investors comply with regulations.
The North Jakarta Immigration team apprehended the two suspects, ZM and ZY, in the Penjaringan area of North Jakarta. Investigations revealed that ZM was using a Limited Stay Permit (ITAS) as an investor in PT LSTTI, whilst ZY relied on an ITAS sponsored by PT DHI.
However, further examination uncovered alarming facts. ZM claimed PT LSTTI was his company, officially registered under Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights No. AHU-0091884.AH.01.01 of 2024. The company was originally registered at an address in South Jakarta but had since moved to Penjaringan. More suspiciously, ZM admitted that PT LSTTI was only established in April 2025 and had not commenced operations at all.
Immigration officers requested supporting documents such as the Investment Activity Report (LKPM), articles of association, and financial statements, but neither suspect was able to provide them. In the LKPM, ZM claimed to have invested Rp10.395 billion in a local company. However, upon examination, he admitted to having deposited only Rp68 million.
"This is a clear indication of data falsification," Rendra stated firmly.
Meanwhile, ZY was equally problematic. He claimed to be the owner of PT DHI, located in Pinangsia, West Jakarta, since 2022. The owner of PT DHI claimed the company ran an ice cream distribution business from a factory in Bekasi whilst also importing steel directly from China. However, when asked for operational details, ZY was unable to provide an explanation. He claimed not to know the number of employees because they "only come when there are imported goods". Worse still, since January 2025, the office had seen no activity whatsoever.
The North Jakarta Immigration team immediately conducted field inspections. The results showed that PT LSTTI was merely a virtual office registered since November 2024 with no actual activity. The investigation team discovered that the four-storey shophouse belonging to PT DHI in Pinangsia was completely empty with no trace of business activity.
"After coordinating with BKPM, both companies were declared fictitious," Rendra revealed.
The two foreign nationals had deliberately created sham companies to easily obtain residency permits. Their actions violated Article 123(a) of Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration. For these violations, ZM and ZY will be deported to China.
This case serves as a stern warning to foreign investors who attempt to manipulate the system. North Jakarta Immigration stated it would continue to tighten surveillance to prevent similar practices in the future.
The case exposed a modus operandi whereby foreign nationals exploit legal loopholes to obtain illegal residency permits. By creating fictitious companies, they deceived immigration authorities and BKPM. However, the swift action of the North Jakarta Immigration office successfully uncovered these fraudulent practices. Firm measures such as deportation are expected to serve as a deterrent.
The government, for its part, needs to evaluate the verification system for sponsor companies and must leverage technology and integrated databases to detect fictitious companies at an earlier stage.
"We have zero tolerance for violations, regardless of who the perpetrators are," Rendra affirmed. Going forward, surveillance will be increasingly stringent. Foreign nationals wishing to reside in Indonesia must ensure all their documents are legal and transparent. Anyone who dares to act deceitfully must be prepared to face the consequences: immigration authorities will deport them and place them on a blacklist.