Antara News·Indonesia·Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 08:35 AM

Indonesian Police repatriate online gambling fugitive from Thailand

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Nadia Rahmani, Uyu Liman

Indonesian police have arrested and repatriated a key fugitive in an online gambling case following an international manhunt that led to his capture in Thailand, authorities said on Friday (September 25).

The suspect, identified only by his initials FP, was repatriated to Indonesia following a joint operation involving the Indonesian National Police, the Royal Thai Police, Interpol, and Indonesian and Thai immigration authorities.

“Through our cooperation with Thai authorities, we managed to arrest him and bring him back to Indonesia,” Deputy Director of Cyber Crime at the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department, Chief Commissioner Setyo Koes Heriyanto, said.

Police allege that FP was a key figure in an online gambling network operating three major websites - Empire88, 1XBET, and AJ8KEREN - which offered online slots, casino games, and sports betting. Online gambling is prohibited under Indonesian law.

According to the investigation, the network processed an estimated Rp1 trillion (approximately US$55.76 million) in transactions between January and April 2026 alone.

Authorities placed FP on the international wanted list on July 29 after discovering that he had fled Indonesia.

The manhunt initially traced him to Singapore in early September, before intelligence indicated that he had moved to Thailand. Working with Thai authorities, Indonesian investigators arrested him on Tuesday evening (September 22).

“At an upcoming press conference, we will detail the suspect’s specific roles, both in the syndicate’s operations and during his time on the run,” Setyo added.

Previously, Director of Cyber Crime at the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department Brigadier General Adex Yudiswan disclosed that the gambling websites targeted users both domestically and internationally.

Investigators traced the network’s financial flows to a payment gateway company, PT Ultra Payment Terpercaya (PT UPT), which allegedly processed around Rp1 trillion in gambling-related transactions.

Police have already named five other individuals as suspects in the case. They are accused of managing the payment company, circumventing regulatory requirements, and processing illicit funds.

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