Jakarta. Indonesian police have arrested Rifaldo Aquiono Pontoh, an Indonesian national wanted by Interpol, over his alleged role in a human trafficking and online fraud network operating in Cambodia.

Rifaldo was detained upon arrival at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali on Saturday, following intelligence shared by Philippine authorities, said Ricky Purnama, head of Indonesia’s transnational crime division.

Police said Rifaldo used social media to advertise high-paying overseas jobs, luring Indonesians into illegal employment schemes. Instead, victims were allegedly forced to work in conditions resembling modern slavery, with many subjected to severe abuse.

“Their passports were confiscated, wages were withheld, and those who tried to resign or return to Indonesia were required to pay extremely high fees,” Ricky said.

The Interpol's National Central Bureau in Manila alerted police on Friday that Rifaldo was traveling from Cambodia to the Philippines before continuing on to Bali. Authorities then coordinated with immigration officials to intercept him on arrival.

The arrest comes as Indonesia is in the process of repatriating more than 3,500 of its citizens from Cambodia, many suspected of working illegally or being drawn into cybercrime syndicates.

Indonesia’s embassy in Phnom Penh said it is coordinating with police to screen all returnees to determine whether they were victims of trafficking or participants in criminal operations.

Indonesian authorities have pledged to pursue firm legal action against human traffickers and cybercrime networks, amid growing regional concern over scam compounds that exploit migrant workers across Southeast Asia.

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