The Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis Center (PPATK) recently froze 13,481 bank accounts suspected of links to illegal online gambling, blocking a total of approximately Rp 280 trillion ($17.77 billion) in the third quarter of 2024.
PPATK Head Ivan Yustiavandana stated:
These accounts, spread across 28 banks, have been blocked.
Ivan noted that the online gambling industry has built an extensive financial network, often utilizing non-bank channels like cryptocurrency to evade traditional banking oversight. “In some cases, transaction patterns have shifted towards foreign exchange services and cryptocurrency assets,” he said, underscoring the sector’s increasing sophistication in avoiding detection.
On November 1, Jakarta Metro Police raided an online gambling office in Bekasi, West Java, uncovering alleged involvement by Communication Ministry employees. Communication Minister Meutya Hafid subsequently announced the suspension of 11 ministry employees named as suspects for reportedly assisting gambling operators in keeping their websites active, despite a presidential directive to close all gambling sites.
The following day, the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim Polri) dismantled an international gambling network serving around 85,000 Indonesian users, arresting seven suspects, including a Chinese national believed to be managing the overseas-based server.
