Home / Crime and Justice / 321 Foreigners Nabbed in Jakarta Online Gambling Bust
321 Foreigners Nabbed in Jakarta Online Gambling Bust
9 May
Summary
- 321 foreigners, primarily from Vietnam, were arrested for alleged online gambling.
- The suspects operated an online gambling ring for two months targeting foreign customers.
- This crackdown is part of a larger trend of online gambling moving to Indonesia.
Indonesian police announced on Saturday, May 9, 2026, the arrest of 321 foreign nationals involved in an alleged online gambling operation. The majority of those apprehended, including 228 individuals, hailed from Vietnam. Other nationalities included those from China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia.
The suspects were apprehended in a Central Jakarta office building. Authorities reported that the group had been running the online gambling scheme for approximately two months. Investigations suggest that the operation primarily targeted foreign customers.
Officials noted a concerning trend of online gambling activities migrating from other Southeast Asian cities to Indonesia. This recent bust follows another large-scale arrest on Batam island on Friday, May 8, 2026, where 210 foreigners were detained for alleged involvement in online investment scams.
Those arrested in the gambling crackdown face charges under Indonesia's criminal code concerning gambling, a violation that carries a maximum sentence of nine years imprisonment. The police continue their pursuit of international criminal syndicates operating within the country.
