The Indonesian National Police has busted a Rp530 billion ($32 million) money-laundering operation that is allegedly linked to illegal online gambling.
The Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) identified two suspects with initials H and OHW as senior figures within a company called PT A2X Solusindo Teknologi, and according to the investigation, the pair used both the subsidiary PT TGC and the parent company to transfer illegal funds via a combination cash deposits, bank transfers, and bank transfers.
As a result, the investigation found a total of 4,656 bank accounts across 22 financial institutions used in the money-laundering scheme.
Wahyu Widada, Commissioner General of Bareskrim, said that the apprehended suspects made repeated money transfers for personal financial gain, with the investigation finding that a major chunk of the money was also being allocated to online gambling operators.
The Bareskrim reported that it seized Rp 276 billion in government bonds and four luxury vehicles, resulting in the government freezing 197 bank accounts across eight financial institutions.
Moreover, the authorities said that the suspects have been active in the online gambling sector since 2007, believing that money-laundering activities date to 2019 and perhaps even further back.
The Commissioner revealed that the recovered funds are part of a broader investigation, and as such, they will be kept at a secure holding account supervised by the Bareskrim.
What makes this situation dire for the suspects is that gambling is completely banned in Indonesia under Article 303 of the Criminal Code.
As such, those who profit from gambling can face up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to Rp25m, with the Electronic Information and Transaction Law imposing an additional 6-year prison sentence and a fine of up to Rp1 billion for advertising gambling-related material.
