Indonesia detains 103 foreigners, including from China, Malaysia in suspected cybercrime raid – Technologist

Indonesian immigration authorities have detained 103 foreign nationals after a raid at a villa on the resort island of Bali, officials said on Thursday.

Those arrested, including Taiwanese, Chinese and Malaysians, were accused of misusing their visas and residence permits, along with possible cybercrimes.

Immigration authorities said they 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,” Silmy Karim, the director general of immigration, said in a statement Thursday.

Authorities distributed photos showing dozens of detainees lying on their stomachs next to a swimming pool and the three-story villa. All are currently being held at a detention centre in Denpasar, Bali, officials said.

Authorities said they are investigating whether the group might have ties to international syndicates.

Indonesia’s 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 raid comes after more than 40 Indonesian agencies, including the ministry overseeing immigration, were impacted by a cyberattack on the country’s data centres, an official said on Wednesday.

The latest cyberattack, the worst that the country has experienced in recent years, disrupted immigration services and affected operations at Indonesia’s major airports for days.

Forty-four government agencies, including key ministries, were targets of the ransomware attack, said Usman Kansong, an official from the communications ministry.

Indonesia’s communications ministry announced earlier this week that the attacker had used malicious software called LockBit 3.0 and demanded an US$8 million ransom, which the government refused.

The LockBit cybercrime group is notorious for using ransomware to digitally extort its victims.