Illustrative image. Photo baovinhlong.com.vn

JAKARTA — Indonesian authorities have arrested 228 Vietnamese nationals in a major crackdown on an alleged online gambling syndicate operating in the capital Jakarta, police said, in one of the largest cases involving Vietnamese citizens in Indonesia in recent years.

The Vietnamese nationals were among 321 foreign suspects detained during a raid on a commercial building near Jakarta’s Chinatown district as part of a broader operation targeting illegal online gambling networks.

According to Indonesian police, the syndicate allegedly operated at least 75 online gambling websites aimed at players outside Indonesia.

Indonesian police said the detainees also included 57 Chinese nationals, while others came from Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

They said many of the Vietnamese suspects were believed to have entered Indonesia on short-term tourist visas before allegedly working for the gambling operation.

Authorities alleged the network was organised in a structured manner, with workers assigned to customer service, telemarketing and financial administration roles.

During the raid, police seized cash in multiple currencies, computers, mobile phones, passports and other electronic devices believed to have been used in the operation.

Investigators said the syndicate had been operating for around two months and frequently changed locations to avoid detection.

Indonesian authorities said the case also involved suspected immigration and money-laundering violations.

As of May 9, 275 detainees had been formally named as suspects, while others remained under questioning.

Under Indonesian law, those charged could face up to nine years in prison and fines of up to 2 billion rupiah (US$116,000).

Indonesia’s National Police said investigations were continuing to identify the organisers and financial backers behind the network.

The arrests come amid increasing concern across Southeast Asia over the spread of transnational cybercrime, online gambling and scam operations involving foreign workers recruited from countries across the region, including Việt Nam.

Untung Widyatmoko, secretary of Indonesia’s Interpol bureau, said authorities had detected signs that online gambling syndicates previously operating in Myanmar and Cambodia were shifting operations to other countries, including Indonesia, following intensified crackdowns there.

Earlier this week, Indonesian authorities also arrested around 210 foreign nationals, including Vietnamese citizens, in a separate alleged online investment scam operation on Batam Island near Singapore. — VNS