PPATK Reveals Money Laundering Modes Through E-commerce and Thrifting

Armfalcon.com, JAKARTA — The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) revealed the mode used to obfuscate the flow of money laundering (TPPU) funds through transactions in e-commerce And thrifting. Acting Deputy for Analysis and Examination of PPATK Danang Tri Hartono explained that one of the examples that had been found was through fictitious orders on the platform on line travel agent found in one of the remote areas.

“This is without looking at the crime, so there was one hotel in a remote area, district, during the Covid-19 pandemic, billions of transactions were received from online ticket platforms,” ​​he said when met after an FGD regarding the anti-money laundering regime in Bogor, West Java, Thursday ( 25/5/2023).

Danang said, if we examine the number of rooms and the quiet conditions of the pandemic, hotel revenues should not be large. Moreover, hotel booking transactions exceed the room occupancy rate. PPATK is also tracing hotel owners who received funds and criminal cases involving them.

“During a pandemic (hotel occupancy) should be quiet No many people, this is a big deal. We identify the owner of this hotel related to what crime, then sent it for what purpose. And, detected,” he said.

Although he did not clearly mention the case, Danang said that in order to reveal these modes, coordination was needed with related parties, including the online ticket booking platforms involved.

Therefore, PPATK also cooperates with the Indonesian E-Commerce Association (idEA) and the Ministry of Trade to trace the flow of money laundering transaction funds (TPPU) from transactions via e-commerce.

PPATK is also conducting a case investigation thrifting or sales of imported used clothes which were previously a national concern. He also confirmed, even though tracing the flow of TPPU funds in the case thriftingbut all suspicious transactions in e-commerce will track all suspicious transactions through the online platform.

“So it wasn’t just thrifting which leads to TPPU, but all that pass e-commerce. So we really embrace them to work together to reveal things like that,” he said.

Danang said that money laundering transactions with this mode also occurred on other online platforms, not just online ticket bookings. The same goes for crimes related to these modes

He also said that state losses were not only material. In the case of drug-related money laundering, for example, the impact is the destruction of the nation’s generation. Likewise cases of thrifting or imported used clothes which have an impact on the loss of state revenue.

“So these various criminal acts can use e-commerce. We have conveyed the risks so that from thrifting It’s very big from a tax perspective. For narcotics, loss is not only a material problem but can also harm the younger generation and corruption can also damage the nation’s generation. This is what we need to save,” Danang added.

source : Between