JAKARTA - Indonesian National Police arrested an Interpol Red Notice fugitive at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali on Saturday, February 21.

The suspect, Rifaldo Aquino Pontoh, was detained upon arrival from Cambodia via Manila after Philippine authorities at NCB Manila flagged his flight path and tipped off Indonesian counterparts.

Rifaldo is alleged to have recruited Indonesian workers into Cambodian scam compounds through fraudulent social media job postings. Victims reported passport seizure, physical abuse, and unpaid wages once inside the compounds. The operation was announced by Senior Commissioner Ricky Purnama of NCB Interpol Indonesia. 

The joint operation involves four units, which include the NCB Interpol Indonesia secretariat, Jakarta Metropolitan Police criminal investigation unit, Ngurah Rai airport police precinct, and airport immigration. 

“NCB Interpol Indonesia received information from NCB Manila regarding Rifaldo, who was traveling from Cambodia to the Philippines and would then continue his journey to Bali,” said Purnama.

The arrest comes as Indonesia manages the fallout from a Cambodian crackdown on scam operations that had been building for months under multilateral pressure. 

Between January 16 and February 15, over 4,200 Indonesians registered at the embassy in Phnom Penh, of whom Indonesian authorities found no confirmed trafficking victims among the 3,917 assessed, with many admitting involvement in fraud operations.

Rifaldo is in police custody pending further investigation.