Indonesian immigration authorities have detained 103 Taiwanese after a raid at a villa on Bali, officials said yesterday.
They were accused of misusing their visas and residence permits, and are suspected of possible cybercrimes, Safar Muhammad Godam, director of immigration supervision and enforcement at the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights told reporters at a news conference.
“The 103 foreign nationals stayed at the villa and conducted suspicious activities, which we suspect are activities related to cybercrime activities,” he said, presenting laptops and routers at the news conference.
Photo: Firdia Lisnawati, AP
Godam said Indonesian authorities cannot charge them with conducting cybercrime.
“During the inspection, we know that they are targeting people in Malaysia. They did their activities in Indonesia, but the victims are in other countries, so it is very difficult to fulfill the criminal elements,” Godam said, adding that the 103 would be deported soon.
Immigration authorities conducted the raid on Wednesday at a villa in Kukuh village in Tabanan District and detained 91 men and 12 women.
Computers and cellphones were also seized, they said.
“They are suspected of not having documents and misuse of immigration permits. Currently, the possibility of cybercrime is being investigated based on the number of computers and cellphones found at the scene,” Indonesian Immigration Director-General Silmy Karim said in a statement on Thursday.
Authorities distributed photographs showing dozens of detainees lying on their stomachs next to a swimming pool and the three-story villa.
All are being held at a detention center in Denpasar, Bali, officials said.
Authorities said they are investigating whether the group might have ties to international syndicates.
The Indonesian Directorate-General of Immigration plans to carry out another joint operation to monitor foreign nationals in Bali. It aims to ensure that foreigners are staying on the island in accordance with regulations, and to maintain order and security.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Taiwan would send consular staff to Bali and has asked Indonesia to send the suspects back to Taiwan as soon as the investigation is complete.
Reuters could not immediately contact legal representatives of the arrested Taiwanese.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
RSS