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View all search resultsImmigration nets hundreds of foreigners at Batam scam center
Those arrested include operators of several illegal activities, such as love scamming, online gambling and e-commerce phishing.
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Officers from Batam Immigration Office raid an international scam center syndicate on April 6 operating out of Baloi View Apartment in Batam city, Riau Islands. Officers detained hundreds of foreigners and confiscated hundreds of digital devices used in the scam operations. (Courtesy of Batam Immigration Office/-)
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undreds of foreigners were nabbed during a raid by immigration officers against an international scamming syndicate at Baloi View Apartment in Lubuk Baja, Batam city, Riau Islands, on Wednesday.
Batam Immigration Office head Wahyu Eka Putra confirmed the raid netted hundreds of foreigners, although the final number was still being counted.
“The operation was a result of an information gathering process involving Immigration’s intelligence unit and public report,” Wahyu said on Wednesday.
Initial information showed that the foreigners were from multiple countries, such as China, the Philippines and Vietnam. They are suspected of operating different kinds of illegal activity, such as love scamming, online gambling and e-commerce phishing, which uses deceptive links to steal customers data.
Officers confiscated a large trove of electronics, such as hundreds of smartphones, laptops, network routers and mini servers. Digital forensics are being carried out on those digital devices to reveal wider operational schemes and networks.
Investigation is aimed at the possible involvement of a syndicate controlled by local businesspeople. Activities at Baloi View Apartment are suspected to be controlled by two individuals, identified as AL and WL, from Tanjungpinang and Batam. Both individuals are known to have track records in Cambodia.
Other than that, the foreigners are also believed to receive support from a local businessman, identified as AX, who has wide business networks in Batam. The authorities, however, are still investigating the case to confirm the roles of each party and the mastermind behind the network.
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