Indonesian police have arrested Rifaldo Aquino Pontoh, an Indonesian national listed under an Interpol Red Notice, for his alleged involvement in an international human trafficking and online fraud network operating in Cambodia.
Rifaldo was detained on Saturday, February 21, 2026, upon arrival at Bandara Internasional I Gusti Ngurah Rai in Bali.
The arrest was carried out by a joint team comprising personnel from the Secretariat of Indonesia’s National Central Bureau (NCB) Interpol, the General Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Ngurah Rai Airport Police, and airport immigration authorities.
“We arrested the Interpol Red Notice subject, Indonesian national Rifaldo Aquino Pontoh, on Saturday at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali,” said Head of the NCB Interpol Secretariat of the Indonesian National Police’s International Relations Division, Senior Commissioner Ricky Purnama, in a written statement released on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
Exploitation behind Job Ads
Ricky explained that the arrest followed information received by NCB Interpol Indonesia from NCB Manila. On Friday, February 20, 2026, Rifaldo was believed to be traveling from Cambodia to the Philippines before continuing on to Bali. Authorities then coordinated with immigration officials to intercept him upon arrival.
According to police, Rifaldo used social media to advertise overseas job vacancies promising high salaries. However, victims were allegedly subjected to violence and exploitation instead.
“In fact, the victims suffered severe abuse, including passport confiscation, unpaid wages, and coercive conditions that required them to pay extremely high fees to resign or return to Indonesia,” Ricky said.
Previously, the Director of General Criminal Investigation at the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Senior Commissioner Iman Imanuddin, stated that his office had sought the issuance of a Red Notice for Rifaldo — whose network, identified as SME and RFP, has been under investigation since late 2025. The syndicate is suspected of sending hundreds of Indonesian citizens to Cambodia to work in online scam operations.
“Yes, the issuance of the Red Notice is still being processed,” Iman told Tempo at his office on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
In addition to human trafficking, Iman said the syndicate is also suspected of involvement in online fraud and money laundering, with Indonesian citizens as their primary targets.
Separately, Head of the Sub-Directorate for Violent Crimes of the General Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Assistant Senior Commissioner Abdul Rahim, said the suspects recruited hundreds of Indonesians.
“They promised high-paying jobs as company operators, without disclosing that the work was actually in an online scam company,” he said.
The arrest comes as Indonesian authorities intensify efforts to dismantle human trafficking and cybercrime networks, amid growing regional concern over scam compounds that exploit migrant workers across Southeast Asia.
Sources : JakartaGlobe, Tempo.co
Feat Image : via Indonesia Police