Government Strengthens International Cooperation in Combating Online Gambling
Jakarta – Cross-border online gambling has become a serious concern in the Southeast Asian region, including Indonesia.
This transnational crime continues to grow by utilizing digital technology and complex international networks.
The negative impact of online gambling not only harms the individuals involved, but also has an impact on the country’s economy and the increasing cases of money laundering.
To overcome this problem, ASEAN countries have agreed to strengthen cross-border cooperation in eradicating online gambling which is increasingly disturbing the community.
The Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs (Menko Polkam), Budi Gunawan, stated that the government has formed an Online Gambling Eradication Desk tasked with coordinating various efforts to combat this crime.
“The joint desk will also continue to enforce the law and trace the flow of funds from online gambling activities involving various parties,” said Budi Gunawan.
He emphasized that cross-border coordination is very necessary to target money laundering activities that are often used by online gambling networks to disguise their illegal profits.
In addition, the technological approach in detecting and preventing online gambling is also increasingly being improved.
The Head of the Criminal Investigation Agency (Kabareskrim) of the Indonesian National Police, Commissioner General Wahyu Widada, added that one of the main focuses of eradicating online gambling is asset tracing.
By tracking assets obtained from the proceeds of this crime, law enforcement officers can freeze and confiscate funds used to operate the gambling network.
This step is considered important to break the chain of illegal businesses that continue to grow rapidly in the digital era.
In an effort to strengthen eradication, the Head of the International Relations Division (Kadiv Hubinter) of the Indonesian National Police, Inspector General Krishna Murti, revealed that the Indonesian National Police has established strategic cooperation with Interpol and other international law enforcement agencies.
“The Indonesian National Police has established strategic cooperation with Interpol through the Senior Officer Meeting Transnational Crime technical meeting which took place in Laos,” said Krishna Murti.
The two-star general added that the discussion of the cooperation includes the exchange of information to identify, track, and prosecute online gambling perpetrators operating in Indonesia.
In addition, this cooperation is not only limited to Interpol, but also involves the police of neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.
“We are working with neighboring countries to take firm action against this international online gambling network,” he said. []
