Jakarta. Indonesia is preparing to repatriate thousands of its citizens from Cambodia by chartering special flights, following a sweeping crackdown by Cambodian authorities on illegal online gambling and scam operations.

Rinardi, director general for protection at the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (KP2MI), said the government plans to lease aircraft to speed up the return process, rather than relying on commercial flights that could take longer.

“These chartered planes will be used specifically to bring them home,”  Rinardi said in Bekasi on Thursday.

Upon arrival in Indonesia, all returnees will undergo assessments by the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit. They will be temporarily housed at the Trauma Protection Center (RPTC) operated by the Social Affairs Ministry to support further screening and investigation.

Rinardi said the assessments are aimed at determining whether any of the returnees were involved as perpetrators in illegal activities, particularly online gambling and fraud schemes, or whether they should be treated solely as victims.

“We are looking for the perpetrators,” he said. “If they are assessed as victims, they will be sent back to their hometowns. But if there are individuals suspected of being involved as perpetrators, they will be investigated further and processed in accordance with the law.”

The repatriation effort follows a large-scale enforcement campaign by the Cambodian government targeting online gambling and cyber fraud operations, many of which employ foreign workers, including Indonesians. However, Rinardi stressed that the Indonesians seeking assistance are not classified as victims of human trafficking.

“They traveled on their own initiative and worked according to their employment contracts. When these operations were shut down, they requested assistance to return home,” he said.

Despite this, Indonesian authorities are still facilitating their return through coordination with the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh, particularly for those facing immigration issues. KP2MI has identified numerous Indonesians who overstayed their visas in Cambodia, complicating the repatriation process.

According to the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh, as of Jan. 31, 2026, a total of 2,887 Indonesian citizens had reported directly to the embassy seeking assistance to return home. The number has surged sharply since mid-January.

More than 900 Indonesians are currently staying in temporary shelters coordinated by the embassy in cooperation with Cambodian authorities, while the remainder are arranging their own accommodation in guest houses or hotels.

Earlier this year, Cambodia extradited Chinese cybercrime boss and billionaire Chen Zhi to China. He is accused of being the mastermind behind a large-scale cryptocurrency scam and human trafficking.

Add as a preferred source on Google +