Indonesia Repatriates 90 Migrant Workers Freed from Myanmar Gambling Hub

Indonesia’s foreign ministry says it has repatriated 90 citizens who were found working in an illegal online gambling hub in Myanmar last year.

The Indonesian media outlet Berita Buana reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says its Directorate for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens worked with the Indonesian embassies in Yangon and Bangkok, Thailand, to secure repatriation orders.

The move follows a crackdown by police and army units in Myanmar’s Myawaddy. Officials in the region claim online gambling operators and scam masterminds have set up “hubs” of illegal activity.

Police in Myanmar say hundreds of illegal Indonesian migrant workers were found during raids on the hubs. Indonesian officials say they are still working to repatriate a further 230 citizens.

Indonesia: Myanmar Repatriations Ongoing

The citizens arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on January 22, the ministry said.

Observers say Myawaddy, in Kayin State, has become a hotspot for cross-border criminal activity. Many Indonesians claim they were held at the hubs and forced to work for gambling and scam operators against their will.

In October last year, 20 Indonesians managed to escape from a Myawaddy gambling complex days before a military raid. The citizens made a daring and ultimately successful river crossing into Thailand, the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon confirmed.

The ministry said it will give priority to citizens who “independently cover the cost” of their travel to Indonesia. The government said it is still working to ensure all the citizens make “safe and coordinated” returns.

The move follows two previous “waves” of repatriation in December, both of which saw over 50 citizens return to Indonesia via Thailand.

The ministry has reiterated warnings to prospective Indonesian migrant workers. It told citizens to strictly abide by official recruitment and travel procedures. Those who fail to do so could fall victim to fraud, exploitation, or legal trouble while overseas, officials said.

“We will continue to monitor developments in Myanmar,” a ministry spokesperson said. “We are working to guarantee the safe, swift, and coordinated repatriation of all affected citizens.”

Casino Crackdown Continues

Indonesian police, meanwhile, continue to crack down on illegal online casinos. Officers in the Arjosari District of Pacitan Regency in East Java reported this month that a man injured himself on purpose in a bid to fake a violent robbery and cover up his online casino losses.

The man reportedly cut his own hand with a knife and pawned his motorbike before telling his wife and police that he had been robbed by bandits.

Officers said the man had actually pawned his vehicle to a friend and then lost the money on an illegal internet betting platform.