"Some of them are highly educated with master's degrees and also former members of the Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD)," the ministry's director of protection of Indonesian citizens and legal entities, Judha Nugraha, said on Wednesday.
The 4,730 Indonesian citizens found involved in online gambling practices are spread across several countries, with most of them in Cambodia, based on data from 2020–2024, he informed.
They belong to North Sumatra, North Sulawesi, West Kalimantan, Central Java, and several other provinces, Nugraha informed.
"Their ages are around 18–35 years old from a middle-class economic background," he added.
Meanwhile, head of the National Police's international relations division, Inspector General Krishna Murti, informed that efforts have been made to protect the 4,730 Indonesians since 2020 under the supervision of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
On Wednesday, he informed that 69 Indonesians involved in online gambling as operators had been secured by the Philippines police.
Two of them were named suspects by Philippine law enforcement.
Based on the details of the case, they are being deported by the Philippines authorities.
The first stage of the repatriation consisted of 35 Indonesian citizens. In the second stage, 32 others are scheduled to be sent home on October 22 and 23, 2024, on flights headed to Jakarta, Medan, and Manado.
Murti said that his party is currently investigating the distribution of dozens of Indonesian citizens as online gambling operators.
"We should reveal the organizers and the scheme. We will conduct an in-depth investigation regarding this matter," he added.
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Translator: Azmi Syamsul, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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