32 Computers in an Army Housing Compound: Indonesian Army Lieutenant Colonel Detained over Renting Out Official Housing

File photo: Jakarta skyline viewed from West Jakarta, photographed 2 January 2017. Geographic context only; this does not show the Cijantung military residence, the Medan apartment, any suspect or either reported police operation. Photo: Georgi Kovachev / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Display cropped to fit where necessary; no AI-generated imagery. Image source.

Colonel Unggul Wahyudi, commander of the Jakarta Military Regional Command’s military police, confirmed on October 21 that Lieutenant Colonel Arman Jab, head of the intelligence section at Jakarta’s First Garrison, had been named a suspect and was being held at the military police headquarters. The case concerns military housing assigned to him that was rented to civilians and used as an online gambling operation.

“He is already a suspect, and the case is still being processed. He is already being detained at the military police headquarters,” Unggul told reporters at Jakarta Police Headquarters. Asked whether the official housing had been rented out in violation of the rules, he replied: “Yes, it had.” He also said the tenants were “ordinary people (civilians).”

From a Resident’s Report to a Case

The house is in the army family housing complex (KPAD) in Cijantung, Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta. According to an earlier account by Army Information Service Chief Brigadier General Donny Pramono, on October 4 the army received a report of suspicious activity at a house in the complex. Personnel from the East Jakarta Military District Command (Kodim 0505) went to investigate and found computers in several rooms suspected of being used to operate an online gambling system.

Eleven civilians, six men and five women, were detained at the scene, and 32 computers, 14 mobile phones and nine identity cards were seized. Those detained were first taken to the military police for preliminary inquiries, after which the civilian cases were transferred to the Jakarta police.

Major General Muhammad Nas, head of the Indonesian National Armed Forces Information Centre, said: “The legal process is under way, and disciplinary action will certainly be taken in accordance with the extent of the violation.”

The military police have so far only said that Arman is suspected of “misusing and renting out official housing.” They have not said whether he knew about the activity or profited from the gambling operation, nor have they disclosed the rent or lease term. This is also the part of the case that most warrants attention as it develops: the military police have not said whether the case is currently being treated as a violation of official-housing management rules, or whether they will pursue the question of his involvement in online gambling.

A Separate Case Announced the Same Day: “Cashiers” Returning from Cambodia

On the same day in Medan, Senior Commissioner Bayu Wicaksono, director of cybercrime at the North Sumatra Regional Police, announced that police had arrested five men, identified by the initials HH, MRL, RHS, SH and WAS, in Room 2220 of the Grand Jati Junction apartment building. They worked as “cashiers” for a gambling website called DEPOBOS, monitoring deposit and withdrawal requests through its back end and forwarding them to administrators for processing.

“According to the statements we obtained, they were part of a network from Cambodia and came to Indonesia, specifically Medan, to carry out this activity,” Bayu said. According to Kompas and Tribun, all five are Indonesian nationals who previously worked for gambling websites in Cambodia. After returning to Indonesia around September, they were recruited by a man named Wendi, who is now at large. Each was paid Rp10 million a month, with additional bonuses for meeting targets.

Police said the operation began on October 8 and was raided on October 12, having operated for only five days with approximately 30 players. Five mobile phones, three laptops and three BNI bank cards were seized. The suspects are alleged to have violated Article 426(1) of the new Criminal Code and face a maximum sentence of nine years.

Points Still to Be Verified

The time of the Medan arrests: the North Sumatra Regional Police’s official website gives approximately 8:30 p.m. on October 12, while Tribun gives approximately 10:30 a.m. This article follows the official announcement.

Neither the military nor the police have disclosed the identities of the 11 civilians detained in the Cijantung case, the name of the website involved or the scale of the funds.

No connection between the two cases has been reported. They are covered together only because they were announced on the same day.

Sources

Kompas: Military Police Commander Unggul Wahyudi’s answers to reporters (2026-10-21): https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2026/10/21/18321151/letkol-arman-jadi-tersangka-kasus-rumah-dinas-tni-jadi-markas-judol

CNN Indonesia: statements by the military police commander and the Armed Forces Information Centre (2026-10-21): https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20261021110637-12-1417867/letkol-arman-ditetapkan-tersangka-buntut-rumah-dinas-jadi-markas-judol

Antara News Agency (2026-10-21): https://www.antaranews.com/berita/5801289/rumah-dinas-jadi-operasional-judol-oknum-tni-jadi-tersangka

Bisnis.com: seized items and transfer to the police (2026-10-21): https://kabar24.bisnis.com/read/20261021/16/2014478/letkol-arman-jadi-tersangka-kasus-markas-judol-di-rumdin-cijantung

North Sumatra Regional Police official announcement (2026-10-21): https://tribratanews.sumut.polri.go.id/polda-sumut-ungkap-dugaan-jaringan-judi-online-dari-kamboja-5-orang-ditangkap/

Kompas Medan (2026-10-22): https://medan.kompas.com/read/2026/10/22/063833078/apartemen-di-medan-dijadikan-markas-judi-online-jaringan-kamboja-5-orang

Tribun Medan (2026-10-21): https://medan.tribunnews.com/sumut-terkini/1816172/markas-judol-di-apartemen-grand-jati-junction-digerebek-pemilik-situs-diburu-5-pekerja-diamankan