525 Indonesian Citizens Entangled In Online Scams, Indonesian Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Asks Families To Care If Anyone Wants To Go Abroad

Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Judha Nugraha (VOI AFI)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs asks families to care if there are family members who want to go abroad, ensuring the validity of documents and security, when hundreds of Indonesian citizens (WNI) have been entangled online scams abroad since the beginning of this year.

Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Judha Nugraha said that throughout 2025 his party managed to remove 130 Indonesian citizens from online scam centers in Myawaddy, Myanmar. The evacuation was carried out in two waves, the first 46 people on February 21, the second 84 people on February 28.

Judha explained that the evacuation was carried out through Mae Sot, a city in Thailand located on the border with Myanmar, after coordinating with parties in the two countries.

"From Mae Sot, 8 hours of taking a bus to Bangkok has just been flown to Jakarta. They are temporarily placed in the Ministry of Social Affairs' Protection and Trauma Center for the process of deepening and rehabilitation," Judha explained in a press statement in Jakarta, Thursday, March 6.

"At Mae Sot, we received information from Myanmar, initially there were 356 people. Currently we have received an official note from Myanmar, the number of Indonesian citizens recorded at 525," said Judha.

"A very big number," he said.

Judha ensured that the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued to carry out intensive coordination with Thailand and Myanmar to ensure that no Indonesian citizens were left behind, due to the complexity of the online scam problem.

Judha said Indonesian citizens in Myawaddy were scattered at several points, in several compound online scams. Meanwhile, Myawaddy himself is a conflict area and is controlled by ethnic groups.

Bringing out online scam victims from Myawaddy to Mae Sot is not just a matter of distance and terrain being crossed. According to Judha, there are around 7,000 foreign nationals who will be expelled, not only Indonesian citizens.

"Most of them are from China," said Judha.

Judha explained, there are a number of challenges in dealing with this problem. First, Judha said that his party only obtained data from complaints from victims and families. He ensured that those who were entangled online scams abroad did not depart according to procedures and were not recorded in government data.

"They left using visa-free facilities, so they were not recorded. When they arrived they did not report it, so it was really based on complaints," said Judha.

Dijelaskan olehnya, berdasarkan kasus-kasus yang ditangani selama ini, selain menjadi korban online scam, beberapa yang teridentifikasi sebagai korban tindak pidana perdagangan orang (TPPO), ada juga yang dididentifikasi sebagai pelaku.

"The challenge is how to ensure the identification process to ascertain which victims, specifically victims of TIP, ensure the state is present," said Judha.

"Against the perpetrators, we will make sure to enforce the legal process," he said.

He further explained that online scams are closely related to online gambling. If online scams according to him, all countries must prohibit, it is different from online gambling, which in several countries is legal.

"There is a close connection. Of the 130 that we have returned, some of them have worked as online gambling admins in the Philippines. After being banned, moving to Laos, have just moved to Myanmar. Some have become online gambling admins in Cambodia, have just moved to Myanmar," explained Judha. And, the challenges are increasingly complicated due to repeated cases, with Indonesian citizens who have been successfully repatriated related to online scams, choosing to return to work in that sector abroad.

"From a total of around 6,800 cases handled since 2020, we have recorded repeated cases. We have handled Indonesian citizens, sent home, leaving to work in that sector," explained Judha.

He added, to overcome this online scam problem, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs implemented the "4P" strategy.

First, Judha said that he ensured the presence of the state and provided the maximum possible protection. On the other hand, ensure strict law enforcement (prosecution) for the perpetrators, so that it does not happen again.

Next, prevention is effective. Judha said prevention cannot be done alone by the government, it needs the involvement of all parties, both at the central and regional levels.

Public awareness is also very much needed, said Judha, especially in the midst of high desire to work abroad.

"Make sure to do it the right way," said Judha.

"Families are not allowed to be apathy. Members of their families who go abroad, ask where they want to work, what company, whether they have gone through the correct procedure or not, already have a work visa or not, have signed a contract or not and understand the signed work contract. So the family's responsibility is also there," explained Judha.

Finally, cooperation, both at the domestic and international levels. International cooperation includes bilateral, regional ASEAN to multilateral at the United Nations.