Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) chief, Benny Rhamdani, affirmed that his decision to reveal the identity of the online gambling kingpin, with the initial “T,” is for the betterment of Indonesian migrant workers.
The agency head explained that Indonesian migrant workers have been trafficked to Cambodia to work in illegal online gambling and online scamming activities, such as the one controlled by “T”.
“I hope that if we can end this, the illegal departure of (migrant workers) will also cease,” Rhamdani stated at the Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency building here on Monday (July 29) evening.
The agency head reported that while the Cambodian immigration recorded 89,440 Indonesians staying in Cambodia, only 17,883 reported their presence in the country to the Indonesian Embassy there.
“Now, how many Indonesians repatriated after working in online gambling and scamming? There were 1,914 from Cambodia alone,” the agency chief stated.
Hence, his action to expose the gambling kingpin is not for the purpose of online gambling eradication but rather for the safety of migrant workers, as BP2MI’s main focus is to end human trafficking.
Rhamdani said he expects the suspected gambling kingpin’s identity, which he revealed at a meeting in the presidential palace, to serve as preliminary information for relevant authorities to follow up on.
Meanwhile, Rhamdani spoke of having presented his testimony to officers of the Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency. During the five-hour questioning, he answered 22 questions posed by the investigators.
However, he evaded the question posed by reporters about the gambling kingpin’s identity.
“As I have clarified it to the investigators, better ask them,” Rhamdani stated.
As reported earlier, at the inauguration of the Indonesian migrant workers’ volunteer community for North Sumatra on Tuesday, July 23, Rhamdani spoke of having revealed the person’s name, with the initial “T,” to President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) during a meeting at the presidential palace.
He stated that attendees at the meeting comprised some of Jokowi’s cabinet members, including chiefs of the Indonesian police and military, as well as several ministers. However, he did not furnish details on when it took place.
He remarked that President Jokowi and National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo were startled by the name he revealed during the closed-door meeting.
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Translator: Nadia Putri R, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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