Villa raid followed a public report
The villa in North Kuta, Badung District, served as both the group's accommodation and its operating base. CNN Indonesia reported on October 27 that the network had operated in Bali for more than six months before a report from the public brought it to the authorities' attention.
During the raid, three occupants attempted to escape over the rear wall, but officers stationed there stopped them. Officers forced open the front door after receiving no response, according to CNN Indonesia and IDN Times. Inside, they found three rooms serving as an operations control center, equipped with computers, USB drives, flash drives, safes, dozens of phones and cash.
Speaking on Monday, October 26, Ngurah Rai Immigration Office chief Muhamad Novyandri said the detainees were suspected of using their residence permits improperly and submitting false information to secure visas and residence permits. CNN Indonesia also reported that some had overstayed.
Borrowers sought outside Indonesia
Novyandri said initial questioning pointed to a division of responsibilities: three suspects managed the business, and 14 handled administrative work. Facebook advertisements directed potential borrowers to several WhatsApp numbers. The group gathered personal data from customers, including their employment details, salary slips and emergency contacts.
Investigators had not identified any Indonesian customers, and Novyandri said the operation appeared to target foreign nationals. CNN Indonesia's October 27 report placed those targets outside Indonesia, including in China and other Asian countries.
According to the same report, interest rates ranged from roughly 20% to 30%, depending on an assessment of each prospective borrower's profile.
Each administrative group had a monthly profit target of up to $7,800, or about Rp141.6 million, Novyandri said in reports published by CNN Indonesia and IDN Times on October 26-27. Individual members earned approximately $1,200 to $1,600 a month.
Investigators have not yet established how much the group lent during its time in Bali or whether any customers incurred financial losses.
Immigration action and continued investigation
All 17 remain in immigration detention as the investigation proceeds. CNN Indonesia reported on October 27 that Novyandri said they were being held at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office and would be deported and added to Indonesia's re-entry blacklist, known as cekal.
The detainees may face administrative measures under Article 75(1) of Indonesia's 2011 Immigration Law. That provision allows immigration officials to take action against foreign nationals suspected of breaking Indonesian law.
"We do not discriminate when taking action against foreigners who misuse their residence permits to work illegally in Bali," Novyandri said.
Ramdhani, who heads the Bali Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration, said on October 26 that authorities would continue intensifying surveillance of foreign nationals in Bali. In comments reported by IDN Times, he also urged the public to report suspicious activity involving foreigners.
