Immigration officers removed, warnings put up at Jakarta airport after China tourists allege extortion

A complaint from the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia over extortion cases at the main Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has led to the removal of 30 immigration officials from airport duty, and raised anew a debate over shakedowns involving tourists. The Chinese mission in a Jan 21 letter, which was posted on X by anti-corruption activists and widely circulated since, conveyed a formal complaint regarding at least 44 instances of extortion against more than 60 Chinese nationals at Indonesia’s busiest airport, which welcomed 54.8m passengers in 2024. The Straits Times has reached out to the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta for confirmation of the letter. The Immigration and Corrections Ministry on Feb 2 announced the removal of the 30 immigration officers, and minister Agus Andrianto said the number of airport auto-gates for arrivals is being increased to reduce encounters between international passengers and immigration officials. He did not give details of the plan, or the methods of extortion. Visitors from China must each pay 500,000 rupiah (S$42) for a visa on arrival. As a preventive measure, the government has also put up new signs in Chinese, Arabic and English at the airport’s immigration checkpoints, warning against tipping, he added. “I will ensure that if they are not dedicated to performing their duties and embarrass Indonesia, I will investigate and take action against them in compliance with prevailing regulations,” Mr Agus told The Straits Times, referring to errant officers. <br/>