Immigration Uncovers International Love Scam Syndicate in Tangerang, 27 Foreign Nationals Detained
TANGERANG – The Directorate General of Immigration, through its Directorate of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement (Wasdakim), has successfully dismantled an international cybercrime syndicate operating under the guise of love scams. Officers arrested 27 foreign nationals suspected of involvement in the online extortion network in the Gading Serpong area of Tangerang, Banten.
Acting Director General of Immigration, Yuldi Yusman, revealed that this operation began with an in-depth investigation and profiling of several suspicious locations.
"On January 8, 2026, a team from the Directorate of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement moved to the first location in the Gading Serpong area. There, our team apprehended 14 foreigners, consisting of 13 citizens of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and one Vietnamese citizen, while they were conducting suspicious activities," said Yuldi.
At the location, officers also secured several pieces of evidence, including scattered computers and mobile phones, as well as two Chinese passports in the names of HJ and ZR.
This network is known to operate in an organized manner using artificial intelligence. They seek out victims through social media and then establish communication using the Hello GPT artificial intelligence to make the conversations appear engaging and convincing.
Next, the perpetrator sent indecent photos to incite the victim into a video call. "That's when the perpetrator recorded the incident and blackmailed them. They threatened to release the recording if the victim didn't send money," he explained.
From Gading Serpong, the team expanded the investigation to several other locations. On January 10, 2026, at an apartment in the BSD area of South Tangerang, officers apprehended a Chinese citizen with the initials MX who had overstayed his visa for 137 days. On the same day, the team visited the Curug Sangereng area of Gading Serpong and apprehended six Chinese citizens who had resisted arrest.
"Two of them had overstayed their visas and attempted to deceive officers by using fake documents," Yuldi said.
Based on the results of the investigation, on January 16, 2026, officers visited another location in the Gading Serpong area and arrested four Chinese nationals who were residing there.
The investigation revealed that the syndicate was controlled by a transnational network. Funding allegedly came from a financier in China identified as ZH. Meanwhile, day-to-day operations in Indonesia were led by ZK, the big boss, with field officers identified as ZJ (alias Titi) and husband and wife CZ and BZ.
Based on ongoing developments, a total of 105 other Chinese nationals are suspected of being connected to this cybercrime network and have been listed as "Subjects of Interest." Two of them were apprehended while passing through the airport. They are currently undergoing further investigation regarding their involvement in the cybercrime network.
To date, a total of 27 foreign nationals have been taken to the Directorate General of Immigration for detention and intensive examination. They face severe sanctions related to residence permit violations and indications of cybercrime. Officers are continuing to pursue other members of the network who are suspected of being hiding in Indonesia.
"The Directorate General of Immigration will continue to strictly monitor the presence and activities of foreign nationals in Indonesia. We will not tolerate any activity that violates the law and threatens public security. This operation demonstrates our seriousness in eradicating transnational crime, particularly cybercrime, which is increasingly prevalent. We will continue to coordinate with relevant agencies to ensure strict law enforcement against any immigration violations," concluded Yuldi Yusman.