TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Police investigators in Jambi Province, Indonesia, are continuing to investigate the identity of a Bulgarian national suspected of being the mastermind behind a cyber heist targeting Bank Jambi.
Authorities believe the suspect had traveled to Jakarta to coordinate with three local suspects who have since been arrested.
Jambi Police spokesperson Commissioner Erlan Munaji said investigators are working with the Directorate General of Immigration to verify the foreign national’s identity.
"We are verifying the individual's identity, travel history, and whereabouts," Erlan said on Friday, July 17, 2026.
Bulgarian Suspect Allegedly Controlled Local Syndicate
Police have arrested three suspects identified by their initials as DD, TAS, and AA. Investigators allege that the three acted as facilitators by preparing dozens of bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets to conceal stolen funds.
"Based on the investigation, these local suspects were controlled by the main perpetrator, who is a foreign national from Bulgaria," Erlan said in a statement on Tuesday, July 14, 2026.
According to investigators, the syndicate had been preparing the operation since 2025. The three suspects were allegedly tasked with recruiting individuals to open domestic bank accounts and accounts on several cryptocurrency platforms.
The accounts were then handed over to the alleged mastermind.
Rp144.82 Billion Stolen, Converted Into Cryptocurrency
Police said the syndicate carried out the system breach on February 22, 2026, affecting 6,609 Bank Jambi customers.
"The funds, totaling Rp144.82 billion (around US$8.9 million), were immediately converted into cryptocurrency and transferred to an overseas wallet within hours," said Taufik, an investigator involved in the case.
Through digital forensic investigations and coordination with cryptocurrency service providers, the Cyber Subdirectorate of the Jambi Police's Special Criminal Investigation Directorate has frozen assets worth Rp18.94 billion (around US$1.2 million) believed to be linked to the crime.
Authorities are still pursuing the alleged Bulgarian mastermind, who is suspected of having fled abroad.
Suspects Face Up to Nine Years in Prison
The three arrested suspects face charges under Article 32(2) in conjunction with Article 48(2) of Indonesia's Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law, Article 67(3) of the Personal Data Protection Law, and relevant provisions of the Criminal Code.
They could face up to nine years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp5 billion (around US$306,000).
Indonesia Faces Series of Bank Cyberattacks
The Bank Jambi case follows a series of cyberattacks targeting Indonesian financial institutions.
In March 2025, Bank Jakarta was reportedly hit by a cyberattack on its payment system that triggered suspicious transactions worth more than Rp200 billion (around US$12.3 million). Indonesia's National Police Cyber Crime Directorate later named six suspects in the case.
A similar incident was also reported at Bank East Java in 2024.
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