Indonesian Police Arrest 197 in Batam Casino Raid

Indonesian police have arrested 197 individuals in a large-scale raid on a suspected casino in Nagoya, Batam. The operation, conducted by the National Police's Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim Polri) in coordination with local police forces, targeted a shop house in the Nagoya area on Saturday, August 15, 2026.

According to Deputy Chief of Bareskrim Polri, Inspector General Nunung Syaifuddin, the investigation had been ongoing for two to three months, prompted by public information and media reports. The raid aimed to uncover alleged casino-style gambling activities. Of the 197 arrested, police are still identifying individual roles, including alleged owners, managers, cashiers, supervisors, chip exchangers, dealers, marketing staff, and players.

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The investigation has been ongoing for quite some time, two to three months ago. It started with information from the public and also from media colleagues in Batam. We took the step of raiding for alleged casino-type gambling offenses.

The arrested individuals include 86 Indonesian citizens and 10 foreign nationals, comprising seven from China, two from Singapore, and one from Malaysia. Authorities seized approximately 7.297 billion Indonesian Rupiah in cash from three safes, with an additional 500 million Rupiah from chip exchanges, totaling around 7.79 billion Rupiah. Gambling equipment, including various machines and game chips, was also confiscated.

Syaifuddin stated that the investigation is ongoing to determine the core operators and their specific roles. Those with primary roles will be transferred to Jakarta for further legal proceedings. The suspects face charges under the Indonesian Criminal Code related to gambling and money laundering, with potential penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment. Police have warned entertainment venue operators in Batam against engaging in illegal gambling activities.

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There will definitely be more. We are developing this activity until all core players can be identified according to their respective roles.