TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Directorate of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement has uncovered an international cybercrime syndicate operating under the guise of love scams. Twenty-seven foreign nationals suspected of involvement in the online extortion ring were arrested in the Gading Serpong area of Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia.
"This network operates in an organized manner using artificial intelligence (AI)," said Acting Director General of Immigration Yuldi Yusman in a written statement on Monday, January 19, 2026.
The syndicate, Yuldi explained, sought victims through social media and then established communication using the AI Hello GPT to make the conversations appear engaging and convincing.
The perpetrators sent indecent photos to incite the victims into video calls. "That's when the perpetrators recorded the incident and blackmailed them. They threatened to release the recordings if the victims didn't send money," he said.
Yuldi explained that this operation began with an investigation of several suspicious locations. On January 8, 2026, a team from the Directorate of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement moved to the first location in the Gading Serpong area. There, the team arrested 14 people, consisting of 13 Chinese nationals and one Vietnamese national, while engaging in suspicious activity.
At the location, officers confiscated several pieces of evidence, including scattered computers and cell phones, as well as two Chinese passports in the names of HJ and ZR.
From Gading Serpong, the team expanded their investigation to several other locations. On January 10, 2026, at an apartment in the BSD area, South Tangerang, officers arrested a Chinese national with the initials MX who had overstayed his permit by 137 days.
On the same day, the team visited the Curug Sangereng area of Gading Serpong and arrested six Chinese nationals who resisted. "Two of them had overstayed and attempted to deceive officers by using fake documents," said Yuldi.
Based on the investigation, on January 16, 2026, officers visited another location in the Gading Serpong area and arrested four Chinese nationals residing there.
Yuldi stated that the investigation revealed that this syndicate was controlled by a transnational network. Their operations were allegedly funded by an individual with the initials ZH, who resides in China.
The daily operations in Indonesia were led by ZK, the big boss, with field officers with the initials ZJ (alias Titi) and a married couple, CZ and BZ.
A total of 105 other Chinese nationals are suspected of being involved in this cybercrime network and have been listed as Subjects of Interest. Two of them were arrested while passing through the airport.
They are currently being questioned further regarding their involvement in the cybercrime network. "To date, a total of 27 foreign nationals have been taken to the Directorate General of Immigration for detention and intensive questioning," he said.
The perpetrators, Yuldi said, face severe sanctions related to residence permit violations and indications of cybercrime. "Officers are still pursuing other network members who are suspected of still hiding in Indonesia," said Yuldi.
Read: Indonesian Immigration Deports 9 Foreigners Over Love Scam Involvement
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