Malaysians scamming Malaysians: Indonesia nab 30 in Pontianak hotel raid

On Tuesday, Indonesian authorities in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, conducted a joint operation with the Pontianak City Police and detained 30 Malaysians suspected of operating online scam activities from a hotel. Among the detainees were 22 men and eight women, according to Sam Fernando, the chief of the Pontianak Immigration Office.

The operation, carried out in collaboration with the Pontianak City Police, was initiated following intelligence on suspicious activities involving foreigners. The 31 foreign nationals were found to have used 14 rooms at the hotel for their illicit activities. Fernando indicated that the targets were most likely Malaysian nationals, and their alleged purpose was to defraud them.

No Indonesians were among the targets. All 31 suspects were taken to the Pontianak Immigration Detention Centre for further questioning. Several items linked to the suspected activities were also seized. Three of the suspects were found to have overstayed their visas, while others had misused their stay permits, Fernando explained in a press conference.

The suspects entered the country through various means, including Pontianak airport, the Entikong land border crossing, and Jakarta, using different types of immigration permits. Their stays in the country varied, with some individuals present for as long as three weeks, while others had been there for two months. Fernando stated that his office would coordinate with Malaysian authorities in the ongoing investigation.