Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto has made it clear that he won’t tolerate any state officials and service members of security agencies who use their influence to protect online gambling operators, Communication Minister Meutya Hafid said on Wednesday.

The message was delivered after police arrested 11 officials of the Communication and Digitalization Ministry for allegedly facilitating gambling website operators despite the president’s directive to take down all gambling sites and apps without exception.

Gambling is a crime under Indonesian law, punishable by up to six years’ imprisonment.

During the cabinet plenary session at the State Palace, Prabowo reiterated his determination to get rid of gambling, continuing stern measures by his predecessor Joko Widodo who had ordered the shutdown of all gambling sites.

"[The president] said law enforcement agencies such as the National Police, the Attorney General’s Office, the Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs, and all state agencies must work hand-in-hand in combating online gambling. Nobody should provide the backing to online gambling,” Meutya said after the plenary session.

Online gambling became a particular concern of the government because it takes its toll on low-income families, she added.

Meutya recently suspended 11 officials who have been named criminal suspects after police arrested them for allegedly taking payments from gambling website operators in return for allowing those websites to continue to operate.

According to the police investigation, these officials allowed 20 percent of approximately 5,000 identified gambling websites to continue operating in exchange for payment. Each website reportedly paid the group of officials Rp 8.5 million ($540) for protection from the shutdown.

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