JAKARTA: Authorities in Medan, North Sumatra, have arrested seven Chinese and Vietnamese nationals, along with 31 Indonesians, for their alleged involvement in an international online dating scam syndicate.
North Sumatra Immigration Office head Parlindungan said the suspects were apprehended following coordinated raids by immigration officials and the North Sumatra Police at three locations across Medan.
"During the first raid on June 23 at a commercial building in the CBD Polonia area, we arrested a Chinese national and 31 Indonesian citizens.
The following day, officers conducted raids at a housing complex in Royal Sumatera and a local hotel, where they detained six additional foreign nationals suspected of being involved in the network," he said at a press conference.
The syndicate allegedly operated through various social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram and Threads, where members used fake identities to approach and deceive victims overseas.
"Specifically, the suspects targeted Japanese men as their victims," Parlindungan said.
He explained that the scammers' first step was to build emotional connections with their targets before moving conversations to the Line messaging application.
At that stage, the suspects would carry out various deception schemes to persuade victims to transfer money.
"Once they had obtained the victims' money, they immediately cut off communication to erase their tracks," he said.
Medan Immigration Office head Uray Avian said the seven foreign nationals - identified by their initials as ZH, XZ, ZW, XW, XY, SH and NT - comprise six Chinese nationals and one Vietnamese national.
"They entered Indonesia legally through Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang Regency using valid visit visas and residence permits," Uray said.
Following their arrests, Medan Immigration coordinated with the Chinese and Vietnamese embassies to facilitate the deportation of the seven foreign nationals.
They will also be barred from reentering Indonesia for 10 years under the 2011 Immigration Law.
Uray said authorities would continue to expand their investigation into the alleged online dating scam network, including efforts to identify and locate other foreign nationals suspected of involvement.
"The case remains under investigation as part of our commitment to combating transnational crime and preventing similar activities in Indonesia," he said.
The arrests in Medan came just two months after the Batam Immigration Office in the Riau Islands detained 210 foreign nationals suspected of conducting an online investment scam operation in the island city.
The group comprised 125 Vietnamese nationals, 84 Chinese nationals and one Myanmar national.
Of the 210 detainees, 92 have since been deported to their respective countries, while the rest remain in immigration custody in Batam awaiting deportation procedures.
In a separate case in May, police in Surabaya, East Java, uncovered an international scam network involving 44 suspects from China, Indonesia, Japan and Taiwan.
Authorities also rescued two Japanese nationals, identified as Yuria Kikuchi and Shikaura Midori, who were allegedly held captive by the group in Surabaya. - Jakarta Post/ANN
