inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Authorities in Semarang arrest four Chinese nationals for allegedly being involved in an international love scam network in Semarang.
"Immigration will not allow foreign nationals to abuse their stay permits or use Indonesian territory as a base for illegal activities," said Director General of Immigration Herdaram on Monday (6/8/2026).
On Thursday (June 4, 2026), the Semarang Immigration Office, conducted an immigration surveillance operation in the Puri Anjasmoro area, West Semarang, and successfully uncovered suspected online fraud (love scamming) activities perpetrated by foreign nationals.
The four Chinese nationals are identified as HJ (40), HK (44), HY (44), and TW (37). In addition, two Indonesian citizens with the initials DS (26) and E (26) were also detained for questioning to investigate their roles and involvement in the activities discovered at the location.
From the initial search and examination, officers recovered a large amount of electronic evidence suspected of being used to support online fraud.
The seized evidence included 604 mobile phones of various brands, 11 laptops, 10 all-in-one (AIO) computers, 1 printer, 1 hard disk, 1 projector, 1 portable wireless device, hundreds of SIM cards, three Chinese passports, and several other documents currently under further analysis.
Based on preliminary investigations, the foreign nationals are suspected of carrying out love scams using various digital communication platforms, including the Ding Talk and DingDing applications.
Their modus operandi involved establishing emotional relationships with potential victims through fake identities and profiles, then exploiting this established trust to gain financial gain.
Based on the initial investigation, it was discovered that both the victims and the targets were located outside of Indonesia.
All foreign nationals detained are currently undergoing intensive questioning by officers. The foreign nationals are suspected of violating Article 122(a) of Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration, which relates to misuse of stay permits.
In addition, officers are also investigating the possibility of applying Article 119 of Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration to one of the foreign nationals who failed to present valid travel documents.
Hendarsam stated that the disclosure of this case also affirms the Directorate General of Immigration's commitment to maintaining national security and sovereignty through the implementation of selective policies and the spirit of "Immigration for the People."
"Immigration supervision will continue to be strengthened to maintain national security, order, and sovereignty," said Herdaram.
(ad/ndt/pr/rs)
