The alleged bribery case involving immigration officers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, has sparked widespread discussion on social media in recent weeks.
The issue gained attention when the TikTok account @stellaroptics888 uploaded a video on Friday, January 17, 2025, showing a Chinese tourist slipping IDR 500,000 into a passport while passing through the airport entrance.
The video, which suggested bribery, quickly went viral. However, shortly after, the Chinese tourist apologized and clarified the situation, explaining what actually happened.
Despite this, the Directorate General of Immigration has taken action against the two individuals, identified as LB and LJ, due to the negative impact their actions have had on the reputation of immigration officers.
Immigration Minister’s Response
Minister of Immigration and Corrections Agus Andrianto confirmed that the Chinese tourist who slipped money into his passport at Soekarno-Hatta Airport had been taken in for questioning.
“He was not arrested but secured for clarification. The details will be disclosed later,” Agus said during a press briefing at the Immigration Office in Kuningan, Jakarta, on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, as reported by Kompas.
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Directorate General of Immigration’s Explanation
In an official statement on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, Acting Director General of Immigration Saffar Muhammad Godam explained that the two Chinese tourists were detained in the Directorate General of Immigration’s facility and would be deported back to their home country.
“From our review of CCTV footage, there was no evidence of bribery—no giving or receiving of money was captured. Additionally, the officers involved denied accepting any money,” Godam clarified.
According to Godam, the situation began when LB and LJ mistakenly entered the priority passenger lane in the departure area upon their arrival at Soekarno-Hatta Airport. Immigration officers redirected them to the international arrival area for standard immigration processing.
The entire incident was recorded on airport CCTV. “For their actions, LB and LJ will face sanctions in accordance with applicable laws and regulations,” Godam concluded.
Viral Allegations and the Tourist’s Clarification
The viral video showed one of the Chinese tourists slipping IDR 500,000 into a passport and explaining the gesture:
“Passport, IDR 500,000. Chinese customs, IDR 100,000 per sheet to enter Indonesia tomorrow. They must be respected and considered by customs,” the tourist said while inserting the cash.
The video also depicted the tourists landing in Indonesia and interacting with officers. They were seen being escorted by an airport official and appeared pleased when they successfully entered the country. Laughing, they commented, “Out smoothly. Successful entry [into Indonesia].”
In a follow-up clarification video uploaded on Monday, January 20, 2025, the Chinese tourist apologized and explained that the money was not intended as a bribe but was meant to pay for a visa fee.
“On January 16, 2025, I posted a video of myself entering Indonesia, which has since become a hot topic in Indonesia,” the tourist said, without revealing his name.
“The video has sparked significant public discussion in Indonesia. I sincerely apologize for this,” he added.
He went on to clarify that the video had caused misunderstandings:
“The video I posted may have included some misunderstandings and errors in expression. For this, I would like to apologize profusely to the Indonesian Customs officials. I am very sorry,” he stated.
