Ritus Ramadhana, head of the Class I Non-TPI Immigration Office in Bogor, said the deportations followed surveillance of suspicious activities in the Sentul area of Babakanmadang Subdistrict.
“Officers conducted an inspection on March 2, 2026, after detecting indications of suspicious activity in the field,” he said.
During the operation, officers apprehended 13 Japanese nationals at three houses in the Sentul City area and seized multiple items as evidence.
The confiscated items included materials resembling Japanese police identification, along with communication devices such as mobile phones and computers, as well as signal amplifiers and jammers.
Ramadhana said preliminary findings indicate the group operated online scams targeting victims in Japan while based in Indonesia, using digital communication tools.
He added that three of the suspects failed to present valid travel documents during the raid, strengthening indications of immigration violations.
Authorities said monitoring of foreign nationals will be intensified to ensure compliance with Indonesia’s immigration law.
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Separately, Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko said the deportations reflect the government’s firm stance on law enforcement and national security.
“We do not tolerate the misuse of stay permits, especially for criminal acts. Indonesia must not serve as a hub for transnational crime,” he said.
During the process, immigration officials coordinated with the police attaché at the Japanese Embassy in Jakarta, while deportation costs were borne by the Japanese government.
Before their removal, the 13 individuals were held at the Jakarta Immigration Detention Center and have now been placed on a blacklist barring them from re-entering Indonesia.
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Translator: M Fikri Setiawan, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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