Jakarta. The Jakarta Police announced on Thursday the confiscation of Rp 73.7 billion ($4.7 million) in cash, 16 cars, 11 luxury watches, and various other valuable items from an online gambling syndicate, which includes 11 officials from the Communication and Digitalization Ministry.

The ministry officials, along with four additional suspects, were arrested last weekend for allegedly aiding online gambling operators despite a presidential directive to eliminate all gambling websites and apps without exception.

Police spokesman Chief Commissioner Ade Ary Syam Indradi said investigators also seized two firearms, 34 cellphones, 23 laptops, 20 paintings, 16 PC monitors, 215.5 grams of gold, and a motorcycle from the suspects.

"The seized banknotes are in multiple currencies, including the Indonesian rupiah and Singaporean dollar, amounting to the equivalent of Rp 73.72 billion in total," Ade said.

The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) revealed that the ministry officials involved in the case used foreign currencies to evade detection by anti-money laundering authorities.

“It’s true that the cash payments, which combined foreign currencies and rupiah, were an attempt to launder money and obscure the trail of illicit transactions," PPATK Chairman Ivan Yustiawandana confirmed, noting that the center is actively collaborating with the police on the investigation.

“PPATK is currently analyzing the financial activities of the implicated ministry officials,” he added. “We have already identified several transactions, including asset purchases, and will soon hand over our findings to the police.”

The Jakarta Police first reported on Sunday that the 11 officials were apprehended during a recent crackdown on online gambling operations. Their identities have yet to be released, but authorities confirmed that these individuals were responsible for maintaining and shutting down gambling websites and apps.

The investigation revealed that the officials misused their authority, selectively targeting certain gambling websites while permitting others to continue operating. From a makeshift office in Bekasi, they allegedly accepted payments to keep 20 percent of approximately 5,000 identified gambling sites active.

Add as a preferred source on Google +