Allegedly Related To Online Gambling, PPATK Blocks 13,481 Accounts With Transaction Value Of IDR 280 Trillion

PPATK Chairman Ivan Yustiavandana (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) blocks 13,481 accounts suspected of being related to online gambling.

This was conveyed by PPATK Chairman Ivan Yustiavandana. He said the accounts were spread across dozens of banks.

"PPATK has stopped transactions of 13,481 accounts in 28 banks," Ivan told reporters in a written statement, Tuesday, November 5.

From the blocking of this account, Ivan said the number of transactions was quite large. "Until the third quarter more than Rp280 trillion," he said.

Furthermore, Ivan also mentioned that there has been a shift in the transaction pattern of online gamblers. One of them is by utilizing foreign exchange and crypto assets.

However, he did not specify how many used the new pattern. "The transaction patterns in several cases have shifted by using the Exchange Business Activities of Valuta or KUPVA and crypto assets," he said.

Previously reported, the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs (Menko Polkam) Budi Gunawan said there were three strategies to handle online gambling. One of them is by educating the public.

This was conveyed by him by holding a Ministerial Level Coordination Meeting at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Jakarta today, Monday, November 4.

"For online gambling itself, there are several comprehensive strategies that have been decided at the meeting," Budi told reporters at the location.

The first strategy, continued Budi, is to ensure that people know the dangers of online gambling through education. "This certainly creates collective awareness and builds community resistance to the temptation of online gambling," he said.

"Second, starting to carry out early warnings using online gambling actors nodes such as access to online gambling connectivity and access to the payment system, of course, the goal is to break the chain of online video activities," continued Budi.

The last strategy is to provide a deterrent effect for online gamblers. This method will be done through prosecution.

"It is important to note that this approach, prevention means that it does not mean eliminating prosecution," said the former Head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN).