11 Lao Nationals Arrested in Indonesia Over Illegal Online Gambling Network

This Week

Eleven Lao nationals are among 321 foreign nationals arrested in Indonesia after authorities raided a major illegal online gambling operation in Jakarta on 9 May, in one of the country’s largest crackdowns on illegal digital betting networks.

According to local media reports, authorities found the suspects operating out of an office building near Jakarta’s Chinatown district, running at least 75 online betting platforms targeting foreign customers outside Indonesia. The operation had been active for approximately two months.

The majority of those arrested were Vietnamese nationals at 228, followed by 57 Chinese, 13 from Myanmar, 11 from Laos, five from Thailand, and three from Cambodia. 

Most suspects had entered Indonesia on short-term visitor visas and overstayed their permits, working in structured roles covering customer service, telemarketing, and financial administration. Authorities confirmed that most were fully aware they had travelled to Indonesia specifically to run gambling operations.

Of the 321 arrested, 275 have been formally charged with violating Indonesia’s criminal code on gambling, which carries a maximum sentence of nine years in prison, along with potential money laundering and immigration charges and fines of up to IDR 2 billion (USD 116,000).

All 11 Lao nationals remain in Indonesian custody pending legal proceedings, while Indonesian authorities coordinate with the Lao embassy on their cases.

The Jakarta raid was the second major roundup of foreign nationals in two consecutive days. 

A day earlier, immigration authorities arrested 210 foreign nationals on Batam Island in connection with a separate online investment scam. Authorities have also recently dismantled similar operations in Surabaya, Bali, and Batam, pointing to an expanding pattern of transnational cybercrime across Indonesia.

The Same Problem Closer to Home

The issue is not confined to overseas operations. 

In late March, Lao authorities dismantled an illegal online gambling network across three districts in the northern province of Houaphanh, arresting 231 people, including 223 Vietnamese nationals and eight Lao citizens. The network used social media platforms and gambling websites to livestream activities to cross-border audiences. 

Officials classified the case as transnational crime and urged the public to report suspicious gambling activities.

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