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View all search resultsPolice arrest human trafficking fugitive in Bali
The suspect used social media accounts to advertise vacancies and high salaries in Cambodia to job seekers.
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Police officers escort human trafficking suspect Rifaldo Aquino Pontoh (second left) after being arrested at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Badung regency, Bali, on Feb. 21, 2025. Rifaldo allegedly used social media accounts to advertise vacancies and promised high salaries in Cambodia to job seekers. (kompas.com/National Police)
B
ali police have arrested an Indonesian national wanted on an Interpol Red Notice for his alleged role in a Cambodia-based human trafficking and online scam syndicate.
Rifaldo Aquino Pontoh was arrested at I Gusti I Ngurah Rai International Airport in Badung regency, Bali, on Saturday by a joint team consisting of officers from the National Central Bureau (NCB) Secretariat of Indonesian Interpol, detectives from the Jakarta Police General Crimes (Reskrimum) Directorate, as well as officers from the Airport Police and the Airport Immigration Office.
“We arrested an Interpol Red Notice subject by the name of Rifaldo Aquino Pontoh on Saturday at I Gusti I Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali,” head of the NCB Secretariat’s international crime section at the National Police headquarters’ International Relation Division, Sr. Comr. Ricky Purnama, said in a written statement on Sunday, as quoted by tempo.co.
He said the arrest was the result of information received by NCB Indonesia from NCB Manila. On Friday, Rifaldo was believed to have crossed from Cambodia to the Philippines and was due to continue on to Bali.
In the human trafficking case Rifaldo allegedly used social media accounts to advertise vacancies and promised high salaries. The job seekers, however, suffered various forms of exploitation and abuse.
“The victims suffered serious abuse, such as passport confiscation, unpaid wages and forced to pay very high fees to resign or return to Indonesia,” Ricky said.
Previously, the director of the Jakarta Police Reskrim, Sr. Comr. Iman Imanuddin, said his directorate had proposed the issuance of a Red Notice against Rifaldo and two of his network, identified only as SME and RFP, in late 2025.
