JAKARTA, Indonesia — Authorities in Indonesia have apprehended a Chinese national allegedly linked to a criminal online gambling operation, which reportedly transferred and laundered close to $18 million. The suspect, Yan Zhenxing, was arrested on Monday at a ferry terminal on Batam Island, adjacent to Singapore, according to official reports.
Yuldi Yusman, the Director of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement, stated that Yan was taken into custody following an Interpol red notice issued by Chinese authorities, which calls for the arrest or detention of individuals wanted for prosecution in their home country. Yusman noted that Yan, a permanent resident of Singapore, had traveled to Batam for a family holiday when immigration officers detained him.
During a news briefing in Jakarta, the suspect was presented to the media while donning an orange detainee shirt and a face mask. Yan did not provide any statements during the conference, nor was he questioned by reporters. The allegations against him come from police in China’s Inner Mongolia region, who claim he was involved in the transfer and laundering of over 130 million Chinese Yuan (approximately $17.8 million) tied to the online gambling syndicate.
Following his arrest, Yan was transferred to Indonesia’s National Central Bureau of Interpol in Jakarta. It was indicated that the process to determine whether to deport or extradite him to China will require time.
This arrest follows a previous incident just a couple of months prior, where authorities in Bali detained another Chinese suspect linked to investment schemes that allegedly swindled over $14 billion from clients within China. Yusman emphasized the commitment of Indonesian officials to safeguard the country’s territory from foreign individuals who pose a threat to national security.
Indonesia’s geographical location as an archipelago at the intersection of Asia and the South Pacific makes it a hotspot for organized crime on local, regional, and international levels. Last month, a Filipino fugitive, Hector Aldwin Pantollana, was arrested in Bali for his role in a scam that deceived clients out of more than $67 million in the Philippines. Additionally, another Filipino named Alice Guo, a former mayor with ties to Chinese criminal organizations, was detained near Jakarta in September and has since been sent back to the Philippines.
In June, Chaowalit Thongduang, one of Thailand’s most wanted fugitives, was returned to Thailand after being arrested in Bali, where he had been in hiding due to accusations of involvement in various murders and drug trafficking activities.
