Blocking Sites, Seizing Assets and Severe Punishment Becomes Prabowo Government’s Strategy to Combat Online Gambling
By: Jefry Fernando )*
President Prabowo Subianto’s government has shown a firm commitment to eradicating online gambling by implementing a strategy that includes blocking sites, seizing assets, and imposing severe punishments on perpetrators. This step is part of the first 100 days of government that proves the effectiveness of legal action in suppressing the number of cyber crimes.
The Director of Cyber Crime at the National Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Brigadier General Himawan Bayu Aji, revealed that online gambling networks continue to operate even though their domains are blocked, with new URLs appearing in a short time. This is a serious challenge faced by law enforcement officers in an effort to break the chain of online gambling.
The government is also optimizing cooperation with the Ministry of Communication and Information to continue updating a more effective blocking system to make it difficult for users and operators of online gambling sites to access.
In addition to blocking, the police also managed to seize assets from three major cases involving online gambling sites, namely H5GF777, RGO Casino, and Agent 138. The total assets confiscated reached IDR 61 billion.
In the H5GF777 case, two suspects, MIA and AL, were successfully secured, while the RGO Casino network involved five suspects with different roles, including an operator who controlled 17 other gambling sites.
The confiscation of assets was carried out to suppress the operational funding of the gambling syndicate and make it difficult for them to rebuild a new network. Law enforcement that focuses on these assets also aims to eliminate financial benefits from the illegal business, while securing funds that can be used for the benefit of the state.
The Director of General Crimes at the Attorney General’s Office, Agus Sahat, emphasized that the law enforcement strategy is directed at maximizing the demands on the perpetrators. His party ensures that the perpetrators receive severe sentences to provide a deterrent effect.
With this approach, the sentences imposed will be a warning to other networks that are still operating. Not only that, coordination with the courts has also been strengthened to ensure that the legal process is transparent and does not provide loopholes for suspects to avoid the punishment they should receive.
The steps taken by the government have received full support from various parties, including the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi), and the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.
The Director of Strategy and Domestic Cooperation of PPATK, Brigadier General Muhammad Irhamni, explained that coordination between institutions is crucial in tracking the flow of online gambling funds, which often involve cross-border transactions.
With stricter transaction monitoring, it is hoped that loopholes that allow online gambling operations can be minimized. Reports of suspicious transactions are also followed up more quickly to avoid money laundering carried out by online gambling syndicates.
In addition to law enforcement actions, the TNI is also taking part in eradicating online gambling by forming a Task Force for the Prevention, Monitoring, and Enforcement of Soldier Violations. This task force is led by Inspector General TNI Lt. Gen. Muhammad Saleh Mustafa and includes four sub-task forces that handle online gambling, drugs, smuggling, and corruption.
Brigadier General Ari Yulianto leads the Online Gambling Sub-Task Force tasked with ensuring that no soldiers are involved in illegal activities. With the involvement of the TNI, supervision of various levels of society that have the potential to be caught in online gambling practices is increasingly tightened, including within the state apparatus itself.
The formation of this task force is part of President Prabowo’s direct order in an effort to cleanse state institutions of online gambling practices that are detrimental to the national economy.
The existence of the task force allows for synergy between law enforcement and the military in creating a broader preventive effect. In addition, with this step, not only civilians are monitored, but also individuals in various agencies who may have links to online gambling practices.
From a public perspective, the Prabowo-Gibran government’s firm steps in combating online gambling have received widespread appreciation. The General Chairperson of the Central Leadership of the Islamic Student Association (PP Hima Persis), Ilham Nurhidayatullah, assessed that the policy showed the government’s seriousness in taking firm action against digital crimes.
