BALI, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities have arrested Rifaldo Aquino Pontoh, a national wanted under an Interpol Red Notice, for his alleged role in a Cambodia-based human trafficking and online scam syndicate.
Pontoh was apprehended on Saturday, Feb. 21, at I Gusti I Ngurah Rai International Airport in Badung, Bali, by a joint task force including Interpol NCB Indonesia, Jakarta Police detectives, Airport Police, and Airport Immigration officers.
According to Sr. Comr. Ricky Purnama, head of the NCB Secretariat’s international crime section, Pontoh was believed to have traveled from Cambodia to the Philippines before heading to Bali. The syndicate allegedly used social media to lure Indonesians with promises of high-paying jobs, but victims were subjected to passport confiscation, unpaid wages, and forced fees to resign or return home.
The Jakarta Police had previously proposed Red Notices for Pontoh and two associates in late 2025 as part of an investigation into hundreds of Indonesians being sent to Cambodia to work in online scam operations. The network is also suspected of money laundering and other cross-border cybercrimes targeting Indonesians.
Mass Repatriation of Victims
The Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh confirmed that 692 Indonesians linked to scam syndicates have been repatriated since Jan. 30, with 462 returning in the week of Feb. 16. The embassy assisted individuals without passports, temporary shelters, and sought waivers or reductions in immigration fines from Cambodian authorities.
Upon arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, returnees were questioned by a joint team of law enforcement officers to assess their involvement in the syndicates. The largest single-day return occurred on Feb. 22, when 131 Indonesians flew home.
The arrest of Pontoh and the repatriation of victims highlight Indonesia’s ongoing crackdown on online scam networks and human trafficking rings in Southeast Asia.
