Yogyakarta Police Bust Cambodian Fraud Ring, Arrest 3 Suspects

TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - The Yogyakarta Special Region Police have apprehended three individuals linked to a Cambodian-based fraud syndicate: YA, D, and SBI. The group is suspected of scamming a victim of over Rp2 billion.

“We are actively investigating this case, which is believed to be part of a larger Cambodian network,” said Senior Commissioner Nugroho Ariyanto, Director of Special Criminal Investigation for the Yogyakarta Police, on Wednesday, August 7, 2024.

According to him, the victim was initially contacted by a perpetrator posing as a telecommunication company Telkom officer, claiming their phone number was involved in a corruption case. The victim was then directed to an online police report, where they were connected to another syndicate member, suspect SBI.

“The next perpetrator pretends to be a police officer and then accuses the victim of corruption and demands a monetary deposit for investigation purposes, promising its return upon case closure,” explained Nugroho.

The victim was induced to send multiple payments through coercion and deception, eventually totaling Rp2 billion. The victim continued sending money until their funds were depleted. The perpetrator also persuaded the victim to get loans from another party or bank.

Tragically, the victim who was identified as BA has passed away. The case was reported by their son, PHS, on March 14, 2024. The fraud occurred on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 16:00 local time at Catur Tunggal, Depok, Sleman. 

Nugroho spilled the suspects. YA, a 51-year-old from Palembang City, South Sumatra, was responsible for recruiting individuals, including DR, to create bank accounts. D, a 41-year-old also from Palembang City, collected bank accounts and SIM cards provided by the Cambodian syndicate. SBI, a 27-year-old from Boyolali, Central Java, acted as a scamming operator posing as a Telkom officer.

Police seized various pieces of evidence, including 12 cell phones, 7 SIM cards, 46 ATM cards, 19 savings books, 2 passports, cash totaling Rp560 million, 11 communication records between the perpetrators and victims, and 7 victims’ bank statements.

The suspects face charges under Article 45A (1) in conjunction with Article 28 (1) of Law No. 1 of 2024 on the second amendment of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE Law), Article 3, 4, and 5 of Law No. 8 of 2010 on money laundering, and Article 378 in conjunction with Article 55 and 56 of the Criminal Code.

Nugroho said the police were expanding their investigation to uncover the full extent of the fraud network and its potential links to Cambodia's online gambling operations.

MUH. SYAIFULLAH

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