Bandung, Indonesia Sentinel — Bandung Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Polrestabes), Indonesia, raided a house operating as a hub for online gambling promotions under the guise of a textile shop. The raid, conducted on November 20, 2024, led to the arrest of five suspects at the property located in the Muara Regency residential area in Bandung.
Bandung Police Chief Kombes Budi Sartono revealed that the operation followed a tip-off from local residents. “The raid was carried out by the Criminal Investigation Unit of Bandung Police, resulting in the arrest of five individuals—one male supervisor identified as FG and four female telemarketers,” Budi stated on Thursday, November 21.
A Two-Year-Long Deception
Authorities discovered that the house was camouflaged as a textile and clothing store to avoid suspicion from neighbors and law enforcement. The suspects had reportedly been running the online gambling promotion scheme since 2022.
“The property appeared to sell clothes and textiles, but inside, it operated as a hub for telemarketing and administering online gambling,” Budi said.
Links to Foreign Gambling Networks
The operation was tied to two online gambling websites linked to international networks, including Cambodia, according to Budi. The suspects were responsible for promoting gambling servers, earning commissions based on the number of clicks generated through the distributed links.
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Initial investigations revealed that the suspects disseminated gambling site links to potential users via text messages. Supervisor FG was tasked with compiling phone number databases, which were then used by the telemarketing team to send promotional messages.
“They explained to recipients how to access and use the gambling sites,” Budi explained. “Further investigations will involve collaboration with the National Police Headquarters.”
The suspects confessed to earning substantial profits from their activities, with monthly revenues reaching up to Rp500 million (approximately $32,000). “This operation generated between Rp300 million and Rp500 million per month,” Budi said.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities aim to trace the full extent of the gambling network and its operators.
(Raidi/Agung)
