JAKARTA: Hundreds of foreigners were nabbed during a raid by immigration officers against an international scamming syndicate at Baloi View Apartment in Lubuk Baja, Batam city, Riau Islands, on Wednesday (May 6).
Batam Immigration Office head Wahyu Eka Putra confirmed the raid netted hundreds of foreigners, although the final number was still being counted.
“The operation was a result of an information gathering process involving Immigration’s intelligence unit and public report,” Wahyu said on Wednesday.
Initial information showed that the foreigners were from multiple countries, such as China, the Philippines and Vietnam.
They are suspected of operating different kinds of illegal activity, such as love scamming, online gambling and e-commerce phishing, which uses deceptive links to steal customers data.
Officers confiscated a large trove of electronics, such as hundreds of smartphones, laptops, network routers and mini servers.
Digital forensics are being carried out on those digital devices to reveal wider operational schemes and networks.
Activities at Baloi View Apartment are suspected to be controlled by two individuals, identified as AL and WL, from Tanjungpinang and Batam. Both individuals are known to have track records in Cambodia.
Other than that, the foreigners are also believed to receive support from a local businessman, identified as AX, who has wide business networks in Batam.
The authorities, however, are still investigating the case to confirm the roles of each party and the mastermind behind the network.
All foreigners were brought to Batam Immigration Office for questioning about their immigration documents and alleged crimes.
The Riau Islands regional office of Immigration Directorate General, Guntur Sahat Hamonangan, said details of the case will be release immediately by Immigration Director General Hendarsam Marantoko.
Authorities have sealed the Baloi View Apartment’s main gate, closing off activity in the apartment, which also functions as a hotel.
Wahyu said the immigration office would coordinate with other agencies, including the police, in handling the case. “We will release further information after we study the case,” he said, as quoted by Kompas.tv.
In a separate case, Batam Immigration Office deported Chinese nationals through Hang Nadim International Airport on May 1 and 2.
The deportations were the results of Operation Wira Waspada on April 21 at Opus Bay apartment construction site in Marina City, Batam.
Wahyu said that the measures were taken to maintain sovereignty and order in the immigration sector.
“Batam Immigration will continuously strengthen supervision of the presence and activities of foreigners,” he said in a written statement on Tuesday. “Especially in strategic areas, such as industrial residential areas, which are potentially the locations of foreign workers. We will take strict action against any violations.”
All deported Chinese nationals were also blacklisted from entering Indonesia. The deportations took place following an operation on April 21 when Batam immigration officers detained 29 Chinese nationals who were working at the construction site of Opus Bay apartment.
Most of the workers were suspected of performing physical jobs not in accordance with their stay permits.
Wahyu said on April 21 that immigration officers found the Chinese workers were performing physical work, such as welding and installing building materials, despite only having visit stay permits (ITK) and visas-on-arrival (VoA).
From the 29 Chinese nationals, officers secured 24 passports and brough five people to the immigration office for initial examination.
The foreigners consisted of five holders of limited stay permits, 17 holders of ITKs and seven holders of VoAs. While 24 Chinese nationals were declared violating immigration regulations and were then deported, the status of remaining five Chinese has yet to be officially announced.
Operation Wira Waspada was held nationally in March and April. Immigration authorities in Batam detained five Chinese nationals and one Malaysian for misusing their stay permits by illegally working in industrial and construction sectors.
Immigration officers found two Chinese nationals, identified as PK and RZ, in an industrial estate in March.
Both were found in a project area and were suspected of actively working although they only had visit stay permits and limited stay permits.
In April, immigration officers detained three Chinese nationals, identified as WPB, YL and YX, who were working in a building construction site.
The three were suspected of conducting technical work by using B211 visit visas. While this type of visa can be used for, among other things, business activities, it cannot be used for employment.
Meanwhile, a Malaysian, identified as MS, was detained because he was working as an instructor in an occupational safety training company using a visit visa, which does not allow a foreigner to work.
Also in April, Ranai Immigration Office in Natuna regency deported two Malaysians, identified as MF and F, for similar immigration violations.
They entered Indonesia through Batam using visa-free short visit permits for tourism, but they were found repairing ships in Lampa Strait in Natuna. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
