ASIATODAY.ID, DENPASAR – Indonesian prosecutors have charged 35 Indian nationals accused of operating a transnational online gambling network from two luxury villas on the resort island of Bali, in a case highlighting the country’s ongoing crackdown on cross-border cybercrime and illegal online betting.
The defendants appeared before the Denpasar District Court on Monday after prosecutors alleged they had managed online gambling platforms targeting customers in India while working for an organization based in Dubai.
According to the indictment, the investigation began in early February when Bali Police’s Cyber Crime Directorate detected an Instagram account promoting online gambling websites using an Indian contact number. Digital tracing led investigators to two villas in Badung and Tabanan regencies, where police arrested all 35 suspects during separate raids.
Prosecutors said the group operated a structured organization with designated roles, including deposit and withdrawal operators, customer support personnel, and social media administrators responsible for promoting gambling platforms.
One of the defendants, Piyush Sharma, was identified by prosecutors as the alleged operational coordinator responsible for managing personnel, computer equipment, mobile devices, internet connectivity, and daily operations.
The indictment states that the organization operated at least seven online gambling websites offering sports betting, live casino games, poker, slot machines, horse racing, and cricket betting. Customers reportedly conducted transactions exclusively in Indian rupees, converting deposits into virtual betting credits used across the platforms.
Prosecutors further alleged that the operation was directed by a parent company based in Dubai, which recruited Indian nationals and assigned them to Bali. The defendants allegedly received monthly salaries ranging from IDR5 million to IDR8 million (approximately US$300–490) paid directly by the overseas operator.
The defendants told investigators they accepted the jobs after struggling to find stable employment in India. Prosecutors, however, argue that none of them held legal authorization to organize or promote gambling activities in Indonesia, where most forms of gambling are prohibited under national law.
All 35 defendants have been charged under Indonesia’s revised Criminal Code governing gambling offenses. The court will continue hearing evidence before determining whether the defendants are guilty.
The case underscores Indonesia’s expanding efforts to dismantle transnational online gambling syndicates that exploit the country’s digital infrastructure and tourism destinations as operational hubs while serving overseas markets. It also reflects growing regional concerns over cyber-enabled organized crime, illicit financial flows, and cross-border criminal networks operating across Asia. (AT Network)
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