National Police Dismantles International Fraud Syndicate Related To COVID-19

Release of the National Police Criminal Investigation Unit regarding international fraud syndicates related to COVID-19 (Rizky Adytia / VOI)

JAKARTA - Bareskrim Polri has uncovered an international network fraud syndicate with a business e-mail compromise mode. In its action, this syndicate takes advantage of countries that are looking for personal protective equipment (PPE) for the prevention of COVID-19.

"Crime cases with business e-mail compromise mode, which are transnational crime cases, are the concern of the Financial Action Task Force, as the world body formed to deal with money laundering crimes," said Head of Criminal Investigation of the Indonesian National Police, Komjen Listyo Sigit Prabowo, told reporters on Wednesday. , December 16th.

Listyo said that this syndicate had already acted five times. Three of them took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, namely, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany. Meanwhile, Argentina and Greece are related to investment funds.

"Related to this crime, Bareskrim has handled 5 cases involving cross-country, of which 3 cases related to COVID-19, three countries and two cases related to fund transfers and investment," said Listyo.

Komjen Listyo said that in this case four people were arrested. One of them is a foreign citizen (WNA) from Nigeria with the initials ODC and the rest are Indonesian citizens.

"The ODC suspect alias Emeka and another suspect, Hafiz, are in charge of fictitious documents and it looks as if the director of a fictional company, Dani and Nurul, helped run the fraud," he explained.

Based on the criminal record, this syndicate claimed that in 2018, the victim was an Argentine citizen with a loss of up to IDR 43 billion. Then in the following year, the victim was a Greek citizen with a loss of Rp. 113 billion.

Meanwhile, in 2020 the person concerned committed the same crime with a loss of Rp. 58 billion and the victim was a German citizen with a loss of Rp. 10 billion. Finally, the fraud case against a Dutch company reached IDR141 billion.

During the three years of action, these actors were said to have made a profit of up to Rp 364 billion.

As a result of their actions, the perpetrators were charged under Article 56 of the Criminal Code and Article 3 and or Article 4 and or Article 5 and or Article 6 and or Article 10 of Law Number 8 of 2010 concerning the Prevention and Eradication of the Crime of Money Laundering.