PPATK Hails Bareskrim for Seizing Online Gambling Assets Under Perma 1/2013: Direct Transfer to the State Treasury

Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis Centre (PPATK) has commended the Directorate of Cyber Crime (Dittipidsiber) of the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim Polri) for its crackdown on money laundering linked to online gambling. Bareskrim succeeded in applying Supreme Court Regulation (Perma) No. 1 of 2013 to seize online gambling assets and remit them directly to the state treasury.

PPATK Deputy for Analysis and Examination Danang Triharto described the move as a sound legal breakthrough. The mechanism allows asset forfeiture without awaiting criminal conviction of the perpetrators.

‘Perma No. 1 of 2013 related to online gambling that reaches the state treasury is the first case. So this is the first case related to online gambling,’ Danang said at a press conference at Bareskrim Polri, South Jakarta, Thursday (5 March 2026).

Danang explained that the application of this Perma addresses challenges in bringing online gambling operators who often use other people’s identities or loan accounts to justice. In practice, online gambling operators frequently use deposit accounts under other people’s names to hold betting funds. This makes it difficult for law enforcement to identify the actual perpetrators (beneficial owners) behind the accounts.

‘So if people understand this, the money comes from the average deposit gambling accounts that use other people’s accounts. In other words, the actual perpetrator is not found,’ Danang said.

Because there is no clear suspect but the illicit assets are real, the conventional regulatory mechanisms are difficult to apply. Therefore, Perma No. 1 of 2013 on the Procedures for Handling Requests for Asset Management in Money Laundering Offences or Other Offences became the most appropriate instrument.

‘Thus Perma No. 1 of 2013 is applied, not standard criminal prosecution as would normally be the case,’ he added.

Danang emphasised that the success in asset seizure this time sets a positive precedent in punishing judol cases. He said the success proves that inter-agency synergy can overcome administrative obstacles and divergent interpretations of the law that have previously impeded cases.

Danang confirmed that this is not the last time, because online gambling remains widespread. PPATK is continuing to process analyses of suspicious financial transactions related to online gambling.

‘Of course, this initial stage will continue to subsequent cases, where we acknowledge that online gambling still occurs,’ he said.

He noted that in addition to the Laporan Hasil Analisis (LHA) currently being pursued by Dittipidsiber Bareskrim Polri, there may still be other material assets to be processed using a similar mechanism.

‘We also continue to process transaction analyses related to online gambling that in the future will likely be pursued with Perma with a fairly material amount as well,’ Danang said.

‘Thus with this release, this initial phase, we hope subsequent phases will run more smoothly and be delivered more quickly,’ he added.

Bareskrim Delivers Rp 58.1 Billion in Asset Forfeiture to the State

Dittipidsiber Bareskrim Polri has handed over Rp 58.1 billion related to a money-laundering case stemming from online gambling for execution by prosecutors. The money was handed over because the case is final and binding (inkrah). The handover was an implementation of Perma No. 1 of 2013 on the Procedure for Settling Requests for Handling Assets in Money Laundering Offences or Other Offences, where there are no suspects, because the funds involved were nominee accounts.

Therefore, investigators are focusing on severing transactions of the judol syndicate. As online gambling has harmed the national economy, they say.

‘The execution of court decisions is the Police’s commitment to supporting the government’s priority programme related to optimising asset recovery arising from crime, particularly online gambling. We recognise that online gambling offences have harmed the national economic order,’ said Dirtipidsiber Brigadier General Himawan Bayu Aji.

Nevertheless, Himawan stated that the success of asset execution is strong evidence of inter-ministerial/agency synergy. This synergy ensures that the legal process remains a shared concern.

‘We would like to extend our thanks and the highest appreciation to PPATK, the Attorney General’s Office, the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, as well as the banking sector and all members of the public who provided information regarding handling this online gambling case,’ he said.