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October 23, 2024 | 11:58 am
TEMPO.CO, Tangerang - The Philippine government deported 69 Indonesian citizens involved in online gambling and cyber-scamming in the country. A total of 22 individuals, deported from the Philippines, will arrive in waves at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 22-23, 2024.
The Head of the International Relations Division (Divhubinter) of the Indonesian National Police, Inspector General Khrisna Murti, said these people are repatriated from the Philippines with deportation status.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) apprehended them at the Tourist Garden Hotel, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu Province, Philippines, assisted by the Indonesian National Police through the Indonesian Embassy in Manila.
"These Indonesian citizens work as operators of scamming and online gambling. They were held captive at their workplace and had their passports confiscated due to failure to meet targets,” said Krisna at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Tuesday night, October 22.
Khrisna mentioned that these individuals were paid 70,000 pesos, or equivalent to Rp21 million per month. "This crackdown followed the policy of the Philippine government announced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.," said Khrisna.
In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22, 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed an immediate ban on the long-running Philippines Offshore Gaming Operators, or POGO.
Khrisna noted that the crackdown on the gambling scene affected over 4,179 Indonesian citizens working in the online gambling industry, both legally and illegally.
The President of the Philippines decided that all POGO operations must cease, and all active companies must leave the Philippines before the end of this year. “The Philippine government took this decision to curb the negative social impacts caused by the online gambling industry in the country, including the involvement of foreign workers, such as Indonesian citizens, who work legally or illegally in this sector," said Khrisna.
The Indonesian National Police's Divhubinter, through the Police Attache in Manila, actively participated in the identification process and provided assistance to the Indonesian citizens at the location of the crackdown. The Indonesian Police also coordinated with the PNP (Philippines National Police), NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), and PAOCC to ensure the safety of Indonesian citizens and the smooth enforcement of applicable laws.
Furthermore, Divhubinter also supported the biometric data collection process of the victims together with Philippine immigration authorities and ensured the verification of the victims' identities as legitimate Indonesian citizens.
The first stage of the deportation process will involve 35 Indonesian citizens, while another 32 are still awaiting repatriation schedules. Meanwhile, two Indonesian citizens involved are still undergoing court proceedings in the Philippines.
Here is the flight schedule of Indonesian citizens repatriated from the Philippines:
- The first flight, using Scoot TR-278, arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, on October 22, at 07:10 p.m. Jakarta time. Their initials are PG, I, LR, R, JE, ASP, TS, MSH, NRO, and IIK
- The second flight, using Cebu Pacific 5J-759, arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, on October 22, at 11:30 p.m. with passengers' initials: YA, FR, SW, MAA, RDY, NS, PO, FK, AMH, DF, FR.
On October 22, four waves of repatriation occurred, with two waves arriving at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport, one at Kualanamu Airport, and 1 in Manado.
Arrival schedule for repatriated Indonesian citizens on October 23:
- Departing on October 22 from Manila, Philippines, transiting 3 hours in Singapore, then a 17-hour transit in Malaysia. Depart again on October 23 with AirAsia QZ-107, arriving without a chaperone at 09:35 a.m. at Kualanamu Airport: DM and MI.
- Departing on October 22 from Manila, Philippines, for a 23-hour transit in Singapore. Depart again on October 23 with Scoot TR-276, arriving without a chaperone: MDA and MI.
- Departing on October 22 from Manila, Philippines, for a 10-hour transit in Singapore. Depart again on October 23 with Scoot TR-216, arriving without a chaperone at Sam Ratulangi Airport at 01:15 p.m.: JJR, TEM, APH.
- Departing on October 22 from Manila, Philippines, for a 19-hour transit in Singapore. Depart again on October 23 with Scoot TR-278, arriving without a chaperone at Soekarno-Hatta Airport at 07:10 p.m.: AF, S, TAS, YPM, and S as well as BH.
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