Ministry of Immigration and Corrections
Directorate General of Immigration
JAKARTA – Immigration officers at Ngurah Rai International Airport successfully arrested LQ, an international fugitive from the People's Republic of China (PRC) listed on Interpol's Wanted List. LQ was apprehended on Tuesday, 1 October 2024, after being blocked and denied entry by the auto-gate system and evading inspection by officers.
The Directorate of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement of the Directorate General of Immigration (DGI) received a red notice from Interpol on 27 September 2024 regarding LQ, who is 39 years old. He is wanted in connection with a criminal case in the PRC, where he allegedly illegally collected over CNY 100 billion (approximately IDR 220 trillion) from more than 50,000 victims, promising them false returns of principal and interest, with annual rates ranging from 6% to 10.1%.
Information gathered indicated that LQ entered Indonesia aboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ0944, arriving at 19:00 on 26 September. The team utilized facial recognition technology to search and identify passengers, which led to the identification of a passenger named JOE LIN, who entered Indonesia using Turkish passport number U23358200, which matched LQ's details. Consequently, he was placed on the prevention list to ensure he could not leave Indonesia.
"As soon as we confirmed that LQ's identity provided by the PRC government matched that of one of the passengers, JOE LIN, we immediately added him to the prevention list to facilitate his arrest," stated the Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim, on 10 October, at the DGI building.
On 1 October, JOE LIN attempted to exit Indonesia through the auto-gate at Ngurah Rai Airport. Still, it was stopped since his name was included on the DGI's Prevention List. After an examination, officers confirmed that JOE LIN and LQ were the same individuals on Interpol's Wanted List. After being held for three days at the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, LQ was transferred to DGI headquarters on 4 October and set to be handed over to Interpol on 10 October.
Silmy emphasized that all Immigration Border controls in Indonesia are integrated with the Interpol Global Police Communication System IGCS, which operates 24/7. The auto-gate system is deployed at several major airports and ports in Indonesia, combining facial recognition technology with Border Control Management (BCM).
"While the auto-gate streamlines the process for travellers—taking only about fifteen seconds for immigration checks—it does not compromise security. Passengers passing the auto-gate are automatically checked against the Interpol red notice and ban lists. If they are on the list, they are immediately stopped from proceeding. This was demonstrated in the case of LQ," said Silmy.
Silmy also stressed that the DGI is continually enhancing its security systems to improve the effectiveness of immigration supervision.
"I want to reiterate that Indonesia is not a safe haven for international fugitives. We will continue collaborating with national and international law enforcement to ensure this," concluded Silmy Karim.
Last updated 25 November 2024
