More than 300 foreigners arrested in Jakarta raid on online gambling operation

The suspects were arrested ‌in an office building in Central Jakarta as authorities pursue crackdowns on online gambling -- which is banned in the world's largest ​Muslim-majority nation -- and on international criminal syndicates.

Those arrested ​included 228 people from Vietnam, 57 from China, ⁠13 from Myanmar, 11 from Laos, five from ​Thailand and three from Cambodia, Wira Satya Triputra, director ​of the Indonesian police force's crime investigation unit, said at a press conference.

The suspects have been running the online gambling operation for ​two months, Wira said.

Of the 321 people arrested, ​he said 275 were accused of violating Indonesia's criminal code on ‌gambling, ⁠a charge that carries a maximum sentence of nine years.

Wira said most of the foreigners were aware that they came to Indonesia to run online gambling operations, ​adding that they ​largely targeted ⁠foreign customers.

An official with Interpol Indonesia, Untung Widyatmoko, told the press conference that there ​is a trend of online gambling operations ​moving ⁠from Cambodian cities to Indonesia.

It was the second round-up of a large group of foreigners in two days. On ⁠Friday, ​Indonesia's immigration authorities arrested 210 foreign ​nationals allegedly involved in online investment scams on Batam island, around 20 ​km from Singapore.