Bali deports 105 Chinese for cyber fraud

Kuta (Antaranews Bali) - The Bali police have deported 105 Chinese nationals who were part of an alleged cyber fraud ring that targeted people living in China.

The fraudsters would call up people and extort money by pretending to be government officials who had uncovered wrong-doing by the victims living in China.

The 105 Chinese nationals had tourist visas and they were deported aboard two planes chartered by the Chinese authorities at 12.00 local time," said the head of the Ngurah Rai immigration office, Amran Aris, here on Wednesday.

The deportees had also overstayed in Bali, he said. "We did not charge them with immigration crime but they were deported for committing cyber crime."

Aris said his office would continue to watch closely the inflow of foreigners to the resort island.

The Bali Deputy Police Chief, Brig.Gen I Wayan Sunartha, said the legal process against the deportees -- 11 women and 94 men -- would be conducted under Chinese law.

"The arrest of 105 Chinese nationals allegedly involved in cyber fraud was based on investigation conducted by the Bali regional police, the Denpasar police and the Chinese police," he said. The police had also worked with the Ngurah Rai Airport immigration office to deport them.

An official of the Bali Police`s special crime directorate, Agung Kanigoro, said investigation showed the Chinese nationals had entered the country through Ngurah Rai airport on tourist visas. They were not linked to any specific crime syndicate as yet.

"We have also arrested 11 Indonesians and questioned them as witnesses. They worked as domestic help in three locations rented by these Chinese nationals," he said.

The Chinese police would continue investigations to see whether they were linked to certain syndicates. "They (the perpetrators) targeted Chinese nationals living in China. They got at least Rp2 billion from the victims," said Agung.

A joint team of the Bali Police`s special crime directorate, the Counter Transnational and Organised Crime (CTOC) task force and the SABATA antibandits, street crime and anarchism unit arrested the 105 Chinese nationals from three locations in May.

As many as 43 suspects were arrested in Jalan Perumahan Mutiara Abianbase in Badung. The police seized 51 telephones, one laptop, 43 passports, five cellular phones, two routers, two printers and 26 units of hub.

In a raid in Jalan Bedahulu XI no. 39 Denpasar, the police arrested 30 suspects and seized 20 telephones, two laptops, one passport, and 13 routers.

In a raid in Jalan Gatsu I no. 9 Denpasar, the police arrested 32 suspects and confiscated 28 telephones, two laptops, 38 passports, three routers and one hub. (WDY)