Medan District Court in North Sumatra sentenced 15 men to 10 months in jail and fined them Rp 50 million (US$3,362) each for their involvement in illegal online gambling on Tuesday.

The trial of Jonni, alias Apin BK, the alleged boss of the illegal online gambling ring, on charges of gambling and money laundering, is still ongoing.

Prosecutors had previously demanded 18-month jail terms for the 15 men. Presiding judge Dahlan Tarigan said that mitigating factors for the men were that the crimes were their first offenses, their good behavior and the fact that they were remorseful.

Prosecutors have accused Jonni of intentionally establishing places and facilities for illegal online gambling, setting up a facility in 2017 in a building with around 19 rooms at the Krakatau Multi Centre (KMC) warehouse complex in Medan to accommodate the bookies in their illegal online gambling operations.

In January 2022, Jonni allegedly bought four storehouses in the Cemara Asri housing complex in Deli Serdang, on the outskirts of Medan, equipping them with tables, chairs, computers, CCTV cameras and an internet connection to expand his online gambling ring.

Jonni is being tried under Article 303 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on gambling and Article 3 of Law No. 8/2010 on the prevention and eradication of money laundering, which carry a combined sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp 10 billion.

Last August, police raided several locations in Deli Serdang suspected of being the sites of Jonni’s illegal gambling headquarters, but found he had fled to Singapore. He was arrested in Malaysia in October 2022.

Jonni is suspected of operating up to 21 illegal online gambling websites from the Warung Warna Warni cafe in Deli Serdang, and is believed to have pocketed up to Rp 1 billion each day. (dre)