Indonesian immigration officials announced on Friday the arrest of 103 Taiwanese nationals suspected of running a cybercrime operation in Bali. However, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs disputed this claim, stating that according to information received by its unofficial diplomatic mission in Indonesia, only 14 of the 103 individuals arrested were believed to be Taiwanese nationals (source).
The arrests were part of “Operation Bali Becik 2024,” a collaborative effort between the Bali Becik Task Force and the Dempo Task Force of BAIS TNI (Indonesian Military’s Strategic Intelligence Agency). On June 26, authorities apprehended the suspects during a raid on a villa in Marga District, Tabanan Regency, Bali. Saffar Muhammad Godam, Director of Immigration Control and Enforcement, stated that the operation was initiated based on intelligence provided by BAIS TNI to the Directorate General of Immigration (source).
During a subsequent press conference, Director Godam revealed that the suspects were allegedly involved in activities presumed to be cybercrime-related, pointing to their daily routines and the IT equipment discovered on-site as evidence. He also emphasized that the suspects had clearly violated their residence permits, making them subject to administrative immigration measures. The Directorate of Immigration Control and Enforcement confirmed that all 103 individuals are in custody, with deportation proceedings set to begin soon (source).
This incident underscores a growing trend of cyber-fraud operations across Southeast Asia, which has led to increased vigilance from regional authorities. Notably, in a similar case in 2018, Bali police arrested 103 Chinese nationals and 11 Indonesians for their involvement in a multimillion-dollar cyber-fraud syndicate targeting wealthy Chinese businessmen and politicians (source).