Bali police director Daniel Adityajaya announced on 7/2 that police raided two villas on the resort island on 3/2. The operation led to the arrest of 39 Indian citizens and the seizure of numerous phones, laptops, and desktop computers.

Bali police display evidence seized during the gambling raid. *KOMPAS*

The suspects entered Indonesia on tourist visas. They are accused of promoting and managing transactions for an online gambling website since late last year. According to Daniel Adityajaya, this online gambling ring generated up to 8 billion rupiah (approximately 475,000 USD) monthly.

"Preliminary investigations show they opened and operated an office in Bali to leverage the island's status as an international tourist destination to avoid suspicion," he added.

Bali police stated the suspects face multiple charges, including organizing gambling. Under Indonesia's new criminal law, this crime carries a sentence of up to 9 years in prison. Currently, 35 suspects are accused of gambling-related offenses, while the remaining 4 are being interrogated.

Gambling is illegal in Indonesia, an archipelagic nation with a Muslim-majority population. Operators, players, and those who promote online gambling content are all subject to penalties.

Despite its illegality, online gambling remains widespread. Data indicates that over 12 million Indonesians participate in this activity, with online gambling-related revenue in Indonesia last year exceeding 280 trillion rupiah (16.62 billion USD).

Hong Hanh (According to AFP, NST)