HOLOPIS.COM, JAKARTA – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed his appreciation to the Thai government for helping facilitate the repatriation of nearly 1,000 Indonesian nationals who had fallen victim to online scam operations.
Prabowo conveyed his gratitude to Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul following a bilateral meeting and the Second Indonesia–Thailand Leaders’ Consultation at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday.
According to Prabowo, Thailand’s assistance reflects the close relationship between the two countries, particularly in addressing humanitarian issues and combating transnational crime.
“On behalf of the Indonesian people, I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the Government of Thailand for its assistance and close cooperation in facilitating the repatriation of Indonesian citizens who became victims of online scams. The number is quite significant, nearly 1,000 Indonesians,” Prabowo said, Holopis.com reported, Tuesday (4/8).
During the meeting, Prabowo stressed that online scam operations are a form of transnational crime that requires stronger cross-border cooperation.
Indonesia and Thailand agreed to deepen collaboration through intelligence and information sharing, joint investigations, and closer coordination between law enforcement agencies.
The two countries also pledged to strengthen efforts to trace financial transactions suspected of being linked to criminal networks.
In addition, Indonesia and Thailand voiced support for developing a Transnational Referral Mechanism (TRM) to accelerate the identification, protection, and safe repatriation of victims.
“We encourage the optimization of existing mechanisms to strengthen cooperation on security and defense issues, including through the Indonesia–Thailand High-Level Committee and the Indonesia–Thailand Security Dialogue,” Prabowo said.
Thailand Pledges Stronger Regional Cooperation
Prime Minister Anutin said the repatriation of the nearly 1,000 Indonesians has been carried out since last year after Thai authorities rescued them from online scam compounds operating near the country’s border areas.
He emphasized that transnational crimes such as online fraud, human trafficking, and drug trafficking require stronger regional cooperation.
“Thailand and Indonesia must also strengthen cooperation within ASEAN to combat online scams. Thailand is always ready to enhance cooperation to eradicate this crime,” Anutin said.
The repatriation effort was the result of close coordination between the Indonesian government and Thai authorities in dismantling transnational criminal networks operating across Southeast Asia.
Both governments hope their strengthened partnership will not only speed up the rescue and return of victims but also limit the operational space of organized crime syndicates that exploit border regions for illegal activities.
