The Jakarta Metropolitan Police have cracked down on a mafia network involving employees of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics.
At a press conference, Jakarta Metropolitan Police Chief Karyoto revealed that the police seized 1,666.86 billion Indonesian Rupiah in cash from the suspects.
So far, 5,146 online gambling sites have been blocked, and 3,455 deposit accounts and suspect accounts have been frozen. This operation was supported by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK).
The police confiscated assets worth a total of 1,666.86 billion Indonesian Rupiah from the suspects, including cash, frozen balances of e-commerce accounts, jewelry, watches, gold, cars, motorcycles, paintings, land and buildings, electronic products, and weapons.
The police noted that there are 24 suspects in the case, including 10 employees from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics and 14 civilians.
The suspects had clear roles, with four being administrators of gambling companies or gambling websites, seven as website search agents, and others responsible for list collection, website filtering, and account laundering.
The investigation revealed that some suspects ensured that certain gambling websites were not blocked, generating substantial profits. For example, each unblocked site had to pay 8.5 million Indonesian Rupiah, allowing the criminal gang members to earn significant monthly incomes.
The police also searched a satellite office in the Bekasi area, controlled by three main suspects, responsible for collecting and protecting online gambling sites.
The suspects are charged under multiple provisions including Article 303 of the Criminal Code, Law No. 1 of 2024, and Law No. 8 of 2010, involving gambling crimes, electronic transaction laws, and money laundering. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison.
A suspect, Alwin Jabarti Kiemas, has been confirmed to be involved in the case, attracting significant public attention.
It is rumored that he is the nephew of the late husband of former President Megawati Soekarno Putri, Taufiq Kiemas. The police did not provide further details but emphasized that all cases would be handled fairly according to the law.
