Indonesia busts gambling ring linked to China, Cambodia
Indonesia’s National Police (Polri) has uncovered a major international online gambling network that used servers in Cambodia and China and operated through local networks using Indonesian SIM cards.
The bust was led by the Directorate of General Crimes at the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim), which arrested 22 people on 13 June in simultaneous raids across Bogor, Bekasi, Tangerang, and Denpasar.
“These suspects include operators, server managers, and financial administrators,” said Brigadier General Djuhandhani Rahardjo Puro during a press briefing on 18 July.
According to Puro, the suspects used Indonesian SIM cards to register WhatsApp accounts, which they then used to send thousands of gambling-related promotional messages each day. The syndicate ran websites under the names Tanjung899 and Akasia899, in partnership with agents based in Cambodia and China.
Each operator could set up as many as 500 WhatsApp accounts daily to distribute gambling messages promising easy deposits and guaranteed wins. Coordination took place through WhatsApp and Telegram groups, with shared phone numbers and details on financial transactions.
“The profits in one year reached hundreds of billions of rupiah,” said Puro. The illegal gains were channelled through bank accounts held under fake names and converted into cryptocurrency disguised as product payments.
Police also confiscated 2,648 SIM cards from different providers, 354 mobile phones, 23 personal computers, a modem, a car, and 18 ATM cards during the raids.
The suspects are facing multiple charges, including Article 303 of the Criminal Code, which carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years or fines up to Rp25 million. They are also charged under the amended ITE Law, which allows up to 6 years in prison and fines up to Rp1 billion, and under the Anti-Money Laundering Law (Law No. 8/2010), which carries jail terms of up to 15 years and fines up to Rp1 billion.
Government responds to SIM card loopholes
The police crackdown follows rising political pressure to regulate the use of SIM cards. Lawmakers have voiced concerns that loose SIM registration rules are helping spread gambling, fraud, and even pornographic content.
Frederik Kalalembang, a member of the House of Representatives’ Commission I, recently criticised the current SIM registration system. “It is the source of online gambling problems, fraud, and the initiation of pornographic sites,” he said. He urged the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi) to enforce stricter SIM oversight in collaboration with mobile providers.
In response, Komdigi Minister Meutya Viada Hafid explained that rules currently allow only three numbers per family ID per operator. However, she admitted the regulation lacks sanctions and said the ministry is exploring new rules to introduce penalties.
Indonesia’s push for broader online gambling controls
The Southeast Asian nation is intensifying its crackdown on online gambling by expanding regulatory oversight and targeting all entities facilitating illegal activities.
“The sanction will be even heavier, and all will be regulated in the government regulation,” said Komdigi official Teguh Arifiyadi.
A key aim is to protect children, as many gambling platforms lack proper age verification. Arifiyadi said that tens of thousands of children and teens have been found to engage in online gambling.
Lawmakers have also called for harsh penalties against public figures and officials caught gambling, stressing that role models must set a good example.
Banks freeze gambling-linked accounts
As part of the crackdown, Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) has told banks to freeze 17,026 accounts suspected of being connected to illegal online gambling. This step, based on Komdigi’s data, is meant to prevent financial crimes tied to gambling.
Dian Ediana Rae, OJK’s Chief Executive of Banking Supervision, said that banks have also been told to monitor dormant and active accounts, ensure accounts match national IDs, and report suspicious activity to the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK).
“Banks must also carry out cyber patrols and conduct fund flow analysis,” he added.
Last year, 8,500 accounts linked to gambling were frozen. The sharp rise in 2025 shows growing concern about how deeply illegal gambling has spread within the financial system.
Concerns over misuse of social assistance
The . PPATK found that at least 571,410 aid recipients were involved in online gambling in 2024, conducting 7.5 million transactions worth Rp957 billion (about US$58.7 million).
Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi confirmed that the government is considering removing individuals linked to gambling, drugs, or terrorism from the list of social aid beneficiaries. “If detected, we consider removing them from the social assistance recipients,” he said.
Prasetyo added that the government is using the National Socio-Economic Single Data (DTSEN) system to track misuse. The data allows authorities to match names, addresses, and financial records to aid recipients.
Call for data accuracy and legal action
However, officials have warned against rushing to cut aid. House Commission VIII member Maman Imanul Haq stressed that innocent people could be wrongly affected if their data was misused.
“If it is found that identity data has been misused by third parties, law enforcement must investigate,” he said.
PPATK spokesperson Natsir Kongah echoed this, saying the real number of gambling-linked aid recipients may be higher. The agency cross-referenced 28.4 million aid recipients with 9.7 million national ID holders flagged in gambling databases.
Social programmes under review
In the first half of 2025, the government disbursed Rp78 trillion (US$4.8 billion) in social assistance. With the discovery of widespread misuse, officials are calling for tighter data controls and legal enforcement to protect the integrity of public funds.
Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf said those found gambling while receiving aid would go through education and review before removal. Meanwhile, Minister of Manpower Yassierli said that once the aid is given, its misuse becomes difficult for the government to control.
House Speaker Puan Maharani urged the government to thoroughly verify all findings. “It’s possible they have no knowledge that their account is used for online gambling,” she said.
As Indonesia battles growing digital gambling networks, officials say closer monitoring and stronger regulations are essential to safeguard both financial systems and public assistance programmes.
