103 foreigners were arrested in Bali on suspicion of misuse of permits, involved in cyber crime

Jakarta: Indonesian immigration authorities arrested 103 foreigners suspected of abusing residence permits and engaging in cybercrime during an enforcement operation on the holiday island of Bali, said director-general of Immigration, Silmy Karim.

According to Bernama, the operation by the Directorate of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement led to the arrest of individuals, including 14 Taiwanese nationals, with the identities of the others yet to be confirmed.

“Such surveillance operations are routine throughout the country and are important in combating crimes committed by foreigners, in line with efforts to combat online gambling,” he said in a statement.

The Director of Surveillance and Enforcement, Safar Muhammad Godam, explained that the operation began at 10am local time on Wednesday and targeted a villa in Marga subdistrict, Tabanan district.

By 5pm local time, authorities arrested 103 individuals comprising 12 women and 91 men, who were suspected of not having valid documents and abusing immigration permits.

“We are investigating them for possible links to cybercrime following the discovery of many computers and mobile phones at the location,” said Safar.

All foreigners who are detained with confiscated evidence will undergo further examination at the Bali Immigration Detention Center.