Indonesian authorities arrested a Chinese man who was wanted by Beijing for allegedly assisting in transferring and laundering nearly $18 million of funds from a Chinese online gambling crime syndicate, officials said on Thursday.
Yan Zhenxing (transliteration) was arrested by immigration officials at the Batam Island ferry terminal near Singapore.
Yuldi Yusman, the director of immigration monitoring and enforcement, stated that Yan Zhenxing was arrested due to an Interpol red notice. Such notices require law enforcement agencies worldwide to detain or arrest a suspect wanted by a specific country.
Yusman mentioned that Yan Zhenxing is a permanent resident of Singapore and was arriving at Batam Island for a vacation with his family when he was detained.
During a press conference held in Jakarta on Thursday, the suspect was brought to the scene, wearing an orange detention shirt and a face mask. The suspect did not make any statements nor was he questioned.
Yusman said that the police in Inner Mongolia, China, had listed Yan Zhenxing as a suspect, accusing him of participating in transferring and laundering over 130 million yuan (approximately $17.8 million) of online gambling crime funds.
He stated that Yan Zhenxing had been handed over to the Indonesian National Central Bureau of Interpol in Jakarta on Thursday. Decisions on whether to deport or extradite him to China will take some time.
This arrest occurred two months after another Chinese suspect was arrested by immigration officials in Bali. That suspect was wanted by Beijing for allegedly operating investment scams that defrauded over $14 billion from Chinese clients.
"We are committed to protecting Indonesia's territory and preventing foreigners who are detrimental and threaten national stability from entering," Yusman said.
Due to its unique geographical location, Indonesia, an archipelago that connects Asia with the South Pacific, is attractive to local, regional, and global organized crime groups.
Last month, authorities in Bali arrested Hector Aldwin Pantorana, a fugitive from the Philippines, who was accused of assisting in defrauding over $67 million from Filipino clients.
In another case, former mayor Alice Guo (transliteration) from the Philippines was arrested near Jakarta in September. She was alleged to have connections with Chinese crime groups and has since been deported back to the Philippines.
In June this year, one of Thailand's most wanted fugitives, Zhao Wali Tongduang (transliteration), was arrested in Bali and escorted back to Thailand by a Thai Air Force plane. He was accused of involvement in multiple murder and drug smuggling cases and had been on the run for several months.
