Police arrest ministry employee for involvement in online gambling - Society

The Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police (Bareskrim) arrested an employee of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Affairs on Thursday for his alleged involvement in online gambling.

Spokesman of the National Police Brig. Gen. Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko said the investigation was ongoing but declined to provide further details on the arrest.

“An employee of the Ministry of Communications is still being investigated to deepen the investigation. Police investigators are still busy, and so we are waiting for the results of investigators,” Trunoyudo said, quoted by compass.com.

Minister of Communications and Digital Meutya Hafid said her ministry had coordinated with law enforcement regarding the investigation into employees allegedly involved in online gambling and had instructed other staff to cooperate if further investigation was necessary.

“Law enforcement will be carried out strongly and without favoritism against all involved, especially if it concerns an official within our ministry,” Meutya said in her official statement, as quoted by Antara.

“We will be firm and serious on the issue of all criminal offenses, especially online gambling, to protect the people so that they can be safe in the digital space. It is our commitment in accordance with the directions of the President.”

President Prabowo Subianto recently reaffirmed his commitment to eradicating online gambling, saying it was not in line with the country’s values.

He asked law enforcement officials to help solve the problem, which he described as a “serious threat” to the nation, along with smuggling, fraud and corruption.

He added that these serious threats can only be mitigated by strict law enforcement, good intelligence and strong evidence.

The head of the Presidential Communications Office, Hasan Nasbi, said the president will prepare steps to eradicate online gambling.

“There will be steps. But we’ll see, I don’t know the details yet. There will be steps for that. There will be steps,” he said, as quoted by compass.com.

In June, then Coordinating Minister of Politics, Legal Affairs and Security Hadi Tjanjanto said that 2.7 million Indonesians gambled online.

About 2 percent of the players, or 80,000, were children under 10 years old, he added.

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