Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Police (Polri) repatriated nine Indonesian citizens, who were victims of human trafficking practices through online scams and online gambling admin jobs from Cambodia.
The Director of Certain Crimes at the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency, Brigadier General Moh. Irhamni, in a press conference on Friday (December 26), informed that the case began when his office received a report from the victims' parents on December 8, 2025.
In addition, other reports on information from social media about Indonesian citizens being forced to work as online gambling admins and online fraudsters, and experiencing physical violence, were also received.
"The victims also made a viral video on social media, requesting assistance to return to Indonesia," Irhamni stated.
The national police then coordinated with Cambodian Immigration authorities to repatriate the nine victims identified as three women and six men from West Java, Jakarta, North Sumatra, and North Sulawesi.
"When we found them, all nine had managed to escape from their offices," Irhamni noted.
The victims escaped their workplaces after repeatedly suffering physical and mental abuse. They later met at the Indonesian Embassy in Cambodia in late November 2025 and chose to live together out of fear and reluctance to go back.
After coordinating with the Indonesian Embassy in Cambodia and Cambodian Immigration authorities, the nine victims were granted exit permits and were finally repatriated to Indonesia this Friday, he added.
Irhamni revealed that the victims were lured to work as computer operators.
"Victims were tricked by someone posing as an operator who offered them jobs at a company with a promised monthly salary of Rp9 million (US$520)," he added.
However, upon arrival in Cambodia, their passports were taken by the sponsor and they were forced to work as online scammers.
"After arriving at Phnom Penh Airport, Cambodia, the victims were picked up by taxi and taken on a four-hour ride. It was their first time in Cambodia and they didn’t know where the location was, so they accepted it. It turned out they were being hired as scammers," Irhamni said.
