Indonesian Gambler Murdered Man, Stole Jewels to Fund Online Gambling Addiction

An Indonesian gambler meticulously planned a gruesome murder to fuel his addiction to online betting, say police in the North Barito Regency.

The Indonesian media outlet Dayak News reported that police in the city of Muara Teweh released “blood-curdling” details of the alleged murder.

Officers say they have arrested a 30-year-old man with the initials SR. They have charged him with kidnapping, tying up, abusing, and eventually killing a man to fund his “online gambling addiction.”

The North Barito Police stated that they collaborated with colleagues from other parts of Central Kalimantan Province to capture SR following a lengthy manhunt.

SR reportedly made a full confession to police during questioning.

Murder Suspect Planned Attack Carefully

Officers claimed that the suspect “managed to steal dozens of grams of gold jewellery” from his victim. The jewels had a total worth of 102 million rupiah ($6,136). However, police said that when they arrested SR, he “had sold the jewellery and spent almost all of the proceeds.”

The North Barito Police Chief Singgih Febiyanto said that the suspect had used the money he raised from selling the jewellery to place bets on online gambling platforms. He also used some of the funds to buy luxury bags and cellphones.

And he used some of the money to host lavish parties, officers added. When he was arrested, SR had just 457,000 rupiah ($27.50) left.

Police said the murder took place on November 18. They explained that SR had spent considerable time stalking his alleged victim outside the latter’s house. He severed power lines to the house to cut off the electricity supply and disable security systems, officers said.

Once inside the house, SR allegedly bound and gagged his victim before dragging him around the property.

A Panicked Phone Call

Police said the victim made a panicked telephone call to an older relative before the attack, saying that he had been robbed and was about to die.

A police spokesperson said officers arrived soon after the call, but discovered the victim badly injured. Emergency service units rushed him to a hospital, but he died from his wounds nine days later.

SR could face the death penalty if convicted. The alleged murder comes in the wake of another violent gambling-linked killing in Pangkalpinang this year.

Police arrested two men for beating a prominent Indonesian journalist with a wooden object. Prosecutors say one of the alleged killers, one of the journalist’s former property guards, was mired in online gambling debts and had tried to sell his victim’s car to pay off loans.