KPK Endus Alleged Extortion at Various Regional Immigration Offices, Ask Victims to Dare to Report

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) admitted that it had collected a number of information related to alleged extortion practices in handling residence permits for foreign nationals (WNA) at various Regional Immigration Offices (Kanim). The information is currently being investigated to develop corruption cases in the immigration environment that were previously dismantled through a silent operation.

"We also received a number of information from various sources, including the public, who then reported alleged corruption practices that occurred in other areas," said KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo at the KPK Red and White Building, Jakarta, Wednesday, June 17, evening.

Budi explained that this information from the public was a valuable enrichment for the investigation team to comb out the wider involvement of other parties. The previous Operation Catch Hand (OTT) case was recognized as the main gateway to thoroughly investigate this octopus pungli residence permit.

"Of course this is open to possibility because this event of being caught red-handed is always an entry point (entrance) for the KPK, so yes, to be able to target more broadly," he said.

Therefore, the KPK appeals to the public and foreigners who feel they are victims of extortion by immigration officials not to hesitate to report and provide information to the anti-corruption agency.

"Information from the public, especially the parties in this case as victims, is certainly needed by investigators to then enrich it, including seeing where these practices occur and what their modus operandi are," said Budi.

Before the investigation spread to the region, the KPK first held a marathon OTT on June 2-3, 2026. In the 11th operation throughout 2026, the anti-corruption agency's team secured 17 people consisting of eight state civil servants (ASN) and nine private parties who acted as brokers or intermediaries in handling immigration documents.

The KPK then named eight people as suspects in the case of alleged extortion of the management of foreign residence permits for the period 2022-2026. This corrupt practice initially occurred in the environment of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, before later switching to the Ministry of Immigration and Correction. Not to be outdone, from this systematic extortion practice, the suspects are suspected of having managed to reap illegal profits of up to IDR 145.5 billion.

The suspects who were dragged were key immigration officials. One of them is Deputy Minister of Immigration and Corrections Silmy Karim who had visited the KPK to surrender on June 3, 2026. Silmy was named a suspect in his capacity as Director General of Immigration for the period 2023-2024.

In addition to Silmy, the KPK also ensnared the Acting Director General of Immigration for the period 2024-2025, Saffar Muhammad Godam, the Head of the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration West Java Jaya Saputra who had served as Director of Residence Permits and Immigration Status for the period 2024-2025, and the Head of the Immigration Office Class I Special Non-TPI West Jakarta Ronald Arman Abdullah.

The other suspects who were dragged into the vortex of this case were the two heads of the Sub-Directorate of the Directorate of Residence Permits and Immigration Status, namely Tessar Bayu Setyaji and Bagus Bramantyo, the Chairman of the Limited Residence Permit (ITAS) Status Transfer Team, Juniadi Sri Priambudi, and the Staff of the Residence Permit Sub-Directorate Gusti Benardiansyah.