Bogor, Beritasatu.com. Indonesian immigration authorities have arrested 13 Japanese nationals suspected of running an international online scam from rented houses in an upscale residential area in Sentul, Bogor, West Java.

The suspects were detained during a routine foreigner supervision operation conducted by the Bogor Immigration Office. Officials said the group allegedly posed as Japanese police officers to extort money from fellow Japanese citizens through organized online schemes.

Acting Director General of Immigration Yuldi Yusman said the arrests were made after intelligence and enforcement teams identified suspicious activities involving foreign nationals living in three separate houses in the Sentul area.

“We would like to convey the results of our immigration supervision operation. The intelligence and enforcement team of the Bogor Immigration Office secured 13 foreign nationals. They were identified as Japanese citizens suspected of engaging in cybercrime, specifically online scamming,” Yuldi said.

According to authorities, the suspects allegedly impersonated members of the Japanese police force and used police attributes as part of their deception to pressure victims into transferring money.

“The scheme took the form of extortion using Japanese police attributes and was carried out in an organized manner. All 13 individuals conducted online fraud activities from Indonesia. The victims were Japanese citizens, and the perpetrators were also Japanese nationals posing as Japanese police officers,” Yuldi added.

Bogor Immigration Office Head Ritus Ramadina said officers had conducted prior surveillance before making the arrests. The investigation involved gathering information from local residents and housing security personnel after noticing unusual movements of foreign nationals in several rented homes.

“During our monitoring process, we detected the presence and movements of foreign nationals in several houses. We then carried out preliminary data collection by coordinating with the community and local security officers,” Ritus said.

In addition to detaining the suspects, authorities seized hundreds of pieces of evidence, including what were described as Japanese police uniforms, passports, and various electronic devices believed to have been used in the alleged scam operations.

During the arrest, several of the suspects were seen with extensive body tattoos. While immigration officials stopped short of confirming any organizational affiliation, such tattoos are commonly associated in Japan with members of the Yakuza (organized crime group).

The 13 suspects are expected to be deported and handed over to authorities in Japan for further legal proceedings.

Immigration officials did not disclose how long the group had been operating from Indonesia or the total financial losses incurred by victims.