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Indonesia investigates suspected transnational online scam ring after 26 foreigners detained

Head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office Bugie Kurniawan said the suspects came from several countries, including the Philippines. The case is being handled by Denpasar city's police in coordination with Bali provincial police to determine possible charges.

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian authorities are expanding an investigation into a suspected transnational online scam network after 26 foreign nationals were detained on the resort island of Bali.​

According to a statement released on May 5 by Bali’s immigration authority, the group is being held for further investigation. The authorities are also coordinating with embassies in Jakarta to determine whether any of the detainees are subject to international arrest warrants. ​

Head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office Bugie Kurniawan said the suspects came from several countries, including the Philippines. The case is being handled by Denpasar city's police in coordination with Bali provincial police to determine possible charges.​

Kurniawan said investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the case may involve not only online fraud but also elements of human trafficking or forced labour linked to cyber-enabled criminal activities.​

These foreign nationals were detained on April 27 during a raid on a hotel in Kuta, Badung regency, one of Bali’s best-known tourist areas. The operation was launched after the Philippine Embassy in Indonesia reported that several of its citizens might have been held there and forced to take part in online scam operations.​

During the raid, several individuals were unable to present valid travel documents. Police also seized mobile phones, laptops, internet networking equipment and other items believed to have been used in the suspected scam activities.

Local media reported that several rooms at the hotel had been converted into makeshift offices used to run online fraud operations.​

The case has renewed concerns that Bali could be exploited by transnational cybercrime networks. In recent years, Indonesian authorities have uncovered a number of cross-border fraud cases involving foreign nationals on the island.​

In 2024, authorities arrested more than 100 suspects accused of operating an online scam network targeting victims overseas. Early last year, three other suspects were detained in Bali for allegedly carrying out online fraud schemes targeting people seeking opportunities to move to Canada./.

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VNA
#Indonesia #Bali #transnational online scam network #transnational cybercrime Indonesia
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