KUTA, Bali — Immigration officers have detained 21 foreign nationals after raiding two houses in Kuta suspected of being used as an operational base for an international online gambling network.
The group consists of 12 Myanmar nationals, eight Vietnamese nationals and one Chinese national. The raids took place at Harvestland Residence on Thursday morning after immigration officers had monitored the location for several days.
The operation began at around 7 a.m., with officers entering two houses after coordinating with residential security, local officials and property representatives.
Eight Vietnamese nationals were found in the first house, while officers detained 12 Myanmar nationals and one Chinese national at the second property.
Authorities seized dozens of electronic devices, including 36 personal mobile phones, 29 phones allegedly used for operations, 18 laptops, six desktop computers and three tablets.
Immigration officials said the group was suspected of operating the online gambling website macaujc.com, with financial transactions allegedly processed through Chinese digital payment platforms Alipay and WeChat Pay.
Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko said officers were investigating suspected misuse of immigration permits as well as possible involvement in illegal online gambling activities.
Initial checks found that some members of the group held Pre-Investment Visit Visas, while others held Remote Worker Temporary Stay Permits.
All 21 foreign nationals were taken into immigration custody along with the seized electronic equipment for further questioning and investigation.
Immigration authorities have not announced any criminal convictions in the case, and the specific role of each individual remains under investigation.
The latest raid comes only days after a separate immigration operation in Dalung detained 17 Malaysian and Singaporean nationals over an unrelated suspected online lending business.
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