Police arrest 58 Chinese, Taiwanese nationals for cyber fraud

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Police arrest 58 Chinese, Taiwanese nationals for cyber fraud

Jumat, 26 Juni 2015 17:42 WIB

Batam, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) -- The Riau Islands Police arrested 58 Chinese and Taiwanese nationals believed to be members of an international cybercrime syndicate that extorts money from affluent people of China and Taiwan.

"We arrested them on Thursday (June 25). While 20 of them were arrested at a Crown Hill residence, the remaining 38 were busted at a Palm Spring Batam Centre residence," Director of Investigation and Crime of the Riau Islands Senior Commissioner Adi Karya Tobing said here at a press conference on Friday.

The suspects recruited from Taiwan and China have legal passports and visas. They entered Indonesian territory through Jakarta.

The syndicate members have been operating in the country for as long as two months to three days.

The police also confiscated some evidence such as laptops, cell phones, soundproof booths and a 57-page list of telephone numbers.

"We are investigating this case in cooperation with the Taiwanese Police," Tobing affirmed.

Earlier, the Jakarta Metro Jaya Police had arrested 31 Chinese and Taiwanese nationals believed to be members of a cybercrime syndicate extorting money from Chinese government officials and affluent people.

The suspects, comprising 16 women and 15 men, had been arrested on Sunday (May 24) night at several places across Kemang, Jakarta.

In addition, on May 18, as many as 29 Chinese and Taiwanese nationals had been arrested at Pondok Indah, Jakarta, for the same allegation.

The foreign nationals were believed to have extorted money from Chinese government officials and wealthy people through cyber frauds.

Reporting by Larno
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[Oakenfold]

Police hand over 58 chinese, taiwanese nationals to Batam immigration

Sabtu, 27 Juni 2015 16:09 WIB

Batam, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) - The Riau Islands Provincial Police have handed over 58 Chinese and Taiwanese nationals accused of being involved in a fraud syndicate to the Batam immigration office for further investigations.

"It is the immigration office that has the authority to handle the 58 foreign nationals after they were found violating immigration rules," Director of General Crime Detective Unit at the Riau Islands Provincial Police Sen. Comsr Adi Karya Tobing said here on Friday.

Although they ran the syndicate in Batam, it targeted citizens of China and Taiwan, he said.

"We are still studying the possibility of them committing the crime against Indonesian citizens. But we have found no indication yet, so they were handed over to the immigration authorities," he said.

He said Taiwan sent its investigators to determine whether Taiwanese citizens have been involved in the syndicate.

Col Jey Lee of Taiwanese Interpol, who was in Batam, did not provide much information about the arrest of Taiwanese citizens.

"I dont want to comment on it very much. I came here only to determine whether some of them are Taiwanese nationals," he said.

Local immigration authorities are still studying whether they all will be deported to their countries or processed in Indonesia.

Reported by Larno