Crime
Indonesia launches crackdown on online gambling sites exploiting government domains
The surge in online gambling sites faces scrutiny as millions of Indonesian government domains get exploited. Through backlinks, these sites exploit ‘.go.id’ domains, raising concerns.
Cybercrime Director Vivid acknowledges the scheme, with 4 million backlinks identified and ongoing efforts to dismantle them.
INDONESIA: The surge in online gambling websites has come under intense scrutiny, particularly as it has been revealed that millions of government domain websites have been exploited by online gambling operators.
This exploitation is carried out using the method of backlinks, leveraging government-owned ‘.go.id‘ domains.
“So, it’s called a backlink, utilizing backlinks. Our team members are currently in the field to apprehend the Operation Targets (TO) who are utilizing backlinks,” stated Brigadier General Pol Adi Vivid Agustiadi Bachtiar, Director of Cyber Crime at the Indonesian National Police (Bareskrim), to reporters on Wednesday (30 Aug).
Unveiling the online gambling onslaught
The prevalent backlink scheme, as acknowledged by Vivid, is a result of online gambling operators hijacking government domain websites with the intention of redirecting visitors to their own gambling sites.
“We have already deployed teams to apprehend or uncover these backlinks. We mentioned that there were 4 million of them,” he explained.
Furthermore, Vivid elucidated the reasons behind this surge in the exploitation of government websites by online gambling sites. This arises from the lack of maintenance in the field of Information Technology (IT) management.
“We have provided information to website administrators to regularly clean up their websites. Unfortunately, this advice hasn’t been heeded. We urge the administrators of government websites suspected of being used for backlinks to clean up their sites,” he remarked.
Vivid emphasized that this issue is not solely the responsibility of the police. The website maintenance process is the obligation of site administrators who must routinely update their security systems.
“Security systems. We always remind them. Out of those four million, we remind them. Your website has been turned into this. So, we advise our government website administrators to take heed and be more diligent in cleaning up these backlinks,” he stressed.
Earlier, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) has acknowledged the longstanding nature of this issue. Usman Kansong, Director-General of Information and Public Communication at Kominfo, stated that the phenomenon had been ongoing for a while, and their attention had been drawn to such cases.
Kansong explained that various factors contribute to the infiltration of government sites by online gambling platforms. One critical factor is the technical capability of government website administrators. He noted that many regional government agencies lack the necessary technological and human resources for cybersecurity.
“Perhaps the technical capability of government website administrators is not as ideal as envisioned. Many regional government sites are affected, and even local police station sites. It’s a comprehensive system, including resources and technology,” Kansong explained.
He also revealed that numerous agencies lack the initiative to secure their official websites. Many assume that government sites are not attractive targets for online gambling operators.
“Perhaps there’s also a lack of concern about securing these sites. Some may have the technological capability, but they might be negligent, thinking that such infiltration is impossible or that no one would bother. We’re increasing vigilance in this regard,” Kansong emphasized.
On another front, since 2018, Kominfo has been employing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to detect negative content across the board. A substantial 840,000 online gambling sites have been blocked, making them the second-most blocked category after pornography.
However, Kansong highlighted the need for cooperation from various agencies to effectively combat online gambling. He pointed out that each agency has its roles and responsibilities.
“Our role is to block the content; it doesn’t go beyond that. Gambling involves many aspects, including financial transactions. We need to collaborate with banks and the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK),” Kansong noted.
Nearly 4 million government domains exploited
Earlier, based on a post by @ismailfahmi on X, it was reported that millions of online gambling domains were identified using the ‘Drone Emprit‘ method, monitoring systems, and social media analysis.
Nearly four million online gambling sites were found to have used government ‘.go.id‘ domains.
According to Ismail, Indonesia is currently facing an online gambling emergency, with almost 4 million web pages using government domains.
“Try it yourself by Googling: gacor sites:go.id. Government officials and the public visiting government sites are immediately presented with gambling information,” Ismail wrote in his post last Tuesday (22 Aug).
The revelations didn’t stop there. Drone Emprit‘s findings also indicated that online gambling had infiltrated academic websites, with 1.2 million online gambling web pages utilizing ‘.ac.id‘ domains.
From the year 2022 up until August 30, 2023, a total of 866 suspects have been apprehended. Vivid disclosed that in 2022, 760 suspects were arrested, while in 2023, from the beginning of the year until August 30, 106 suspects were detained.
He mentioned that detailed information regarding the number of organizers among the hundreds of suspects apprehended is not available yet.
Moreover, Vivid explained that they have collaborated with the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) to block several online gambling sites. ”
We have also been blocking websites that contain online gambling content. In 2022, we submitted 401 block requests, which increased to 513 in 2023,” he clarified.
Furthermore, Vivid highlighted that the Indonesian National Police have been cooperating with law enforcement agencies from other countries in the region to combat online gambling syndicates.
Many cases have been successfully solved through collaborations with police forces across ASEAN countries.
“Thus far, we haven’t encountered significant obstacles with our Southeast Asian police counterparts. Especially with online gambling issues, they are very cooperative in providing assistance,” he concluded.
Crime
Leaders of Japanese syndicate accused of laundering S$628.7M lived in Singapore
Japanese crime syndicate leader Sotaro Ishikawa, linked to a ¥70 billion (S$628.7 million) money-laundering operation, was discovered to have ties to Singapore, including directorships in local firms. Several syndicate members were arrested in Japan and the Philippines, with investigations ongoing across multiple countries.
SINGAPORE: The head of a Japanese criminal syndicate accused of laundering ¥70 billion (S$628.7 million) for organized crime had ties to Singapore, including property ownership and directorships in local firms, The Straits Times reports.
Sotaro Ishikawa (石川宗太郎), 35, fled Japan in February amid police investigations but maintained a condominium in Bukit Timah and was appointed director of the Singaporean software firm, Rivaton, in March.
Ishikawa’s syndicate, Rivaton Group, is believed to have over 40 members and systematically set up shell companies in Japan to launder money linked to scams and illegal gambling.
The Osaka Prefectural Police revealed the group utilized corporate accounts of at least 500 companies and 4,000 bank accounts to process illicit funds.
Both Ishikawa and his second-in-command, Kosuke Yamada (山田耕介), 39, were arrested on 9 July after returning to Japan from Dubai.
Syndicate Leadership Tied to Singapore
Several senior members of the syndicate were also linked to Singapore-based companies.
Yamada, who resided in the same Bukit Timah condominium as Ishikawa, was appointed director of KO Enterprise Next in September 2023.
Takamasa Ikeda (池田隆雅), 38, the group’s third-ranking officer, lived in Novena and was director of local advertising firm Glosal, having been arrested on 2 September after flying from Singapore to Japan.
Japanese authorities issued a wanted notice in August for five senior syndicate members, including Ishikawa, Yamada, and Ikeda.
The other two leaders, Hiroyuki Kawasaki (川崎博之) and Shinya Ito (伊藤真也), were arrested in the Philippines, with plans for their extradition to Japan.
Shell Companies and a Singapore Connection
The syndicate allegedly operated with layers of management, functioning like a legitimate business.
According to the Sankei Shimbun, the group maintained standard office hours, managed by three tiers of staff, and operated with detailed procedures to avoid suspicion.
This included automated systems that transferred funds between accounts based on balance levels or timing.
In Singapore, all of the companies linked to the syndicate were established by a Japanese lawyer and Singapore permanent resident.
He claimed to have conducted thorough due diligence checks on the suspects, including meeting them personally in Japan and verifying their documents.
The lawyer expressed shock upon recognizing one of the men arrested in Japan and subsequently filed a suspicious transaction report with Singaporean authorities.
While cooperating fully with Japanese officials, he stated that he had not been contacted by Singapore authorities regarding the case.
Authorities Continue Investigations
The Rivaton Group allegedly provided money-laundering services to various criminal organizations under the guise of being a payment solutions provider.
A Japanese police official noted the syndicate’s organizational structure, with clear divisions of responsibility in areas such as fund transfers and interaction with financial institutions.
The lawyer responsible for setting up the shell companies emphasized that he had taken extra precautions after Singapore’s S$3 billion money laundering case earlier this year but had found nothing suspicious in his dealings with the syndicate members.
Crime
Singaporean fugitive faces capital charge for drug trafficking after deportation from Thailand
Benny Kee Soon Chuan, 31, was charged with capital offences in Singapore court on Friday after being deported from Thailand for alleged drug trafficking. He’s accused of conspiring to traffic 2kg of methamphetamine in December 2020, directing accomplice to collect the parcel. Kee, evading capture since 2016, was arrested in Thailand, where assets worth US$453,000 were seized.
SINGAPORE: Benny Kee Soon Chuan, a 31-year-old Singaporean man, was handed a capital charge on Friday (20 September) after being deported from Thailand.
Kee is wanted for his alleged involvement in two drug trafficking cases.
Kee is accused of conspiring with Low En Quan Justin to traffic methamphetamine in early December 2020.
The conspiracy reportedly involved a parcel containing 12 packets of meth, weighing at least 2kg, intended for delivery to an individual named “Senthil Kumar” at a shop in Orchard Towers.
Authorities allege that Kee directed Low to collect the parcel, which Low picked up on 2 December 2020.
Low, now 21, has already faced legal consequences for his role in the case. He pleaded guilty to attempting to traffic at least 249.99g of meth and was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years in prison, along with 15 strokes of the cane.
In addition to the December case, Kee is also linked to another drug trafficking incident from November 2022, according to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB).
A 29-year-old man involved in that case received an eight-year sentence with seven strokes of the cane.
Despite the charges, Kee evaded capture for several years, having left Singapore in April 2016.
The CNB coordinated with international authorities to locate him.
On 17 September, he was arrested in Samut Prakan province, Thailand, where he was reportedly living in luxury.
Thai authorities acted on a tip-off from the CNB, leading to Kee’s apprehension and subsequent deportation to Singapore.
Upon his return on 19 September, Kee was taken into custody by the CNB.
Reports indicate that during the arrest, assets worth 15 million baht (S$585,000) were seized, including luxury items like Rolex watches, gold jewelry, and cash in various currencies.
Kee was remanded by a Singapore court on Friday, with permission granted for further investigations.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on 26 September.
If convicted of conspiring to traffic a Class A controlled drug, Kee could face the death penalty.
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