Authorities announced that 88 suspects, including 5 women, were detained on Batam Island following a tip from the Chinese Ministry of Security.
Police Spokesperson Zahwani Pandra Arsyad said they believe the suspects are members of a phone and online love scam community.
Arsyad stated that most of the targets of these people were the Chinese who were tricked into transferring money after they manipulated their “human feelings”.
Stating that the suspects have been coming to Indonesia from China for three months using tourist visas since January, Arsyad said that these people committed the crimes in Indonesia after China crashed their networks.
As part of the preliminary investigation, it was stated that it was revealed that the community has been operating since the beginning of the year and has trapped hundreds of victims in China, but it is not clear how much money they have collected.
It was stated that the investigation is continuing and that the detainees are planned to be deported from Indonesia.
It was noted that Indonesian police were in close cooperation with the immigration authorities and the Chinese Ministry of Public Security regarding the suspects.