Indonesia launches Interpol-linked system for border fugitive checks
Indonesian police have launched I-GHAS 24/7, an alert application linked to Interpol's 196 member countries that immigration officials say makes checks for international fugitives faster and more accurate.
Connecting immigration officers and police
National Police Chief General Suyudi Ario Seto and Inspector General Untung Widyamoko, who heads the police's International Relations Division, launched the Interpol Global Hit Alert System application in Jakarta on November 5, 2026.
The system allows immigration officers to check more quickly whether someone crossing the border is suspected of being on an international wanted list. It also gives them a direct channel to the International Relations Division, known as Divhubinter, to coordinate the identification and handling of fugitives and people involved in transnational crime.
In a statement on November 7, Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko welcomed Divhubinter's initiative. He said border authorities need reliable technology to counter transnational crime at entry points and described the police-immigration collaboration as a shared commitment to serving and protecting the public.
Marantoko said the additional layers of screening must not come at the expense of efficient service. "Through this data integration, we are trying to tighten supervision of people's traffic at the border, without compromising the smooth running of immigration services for the community," he said.
Trafficking and drug cases cited at launch
Suyudi said the complexity of crimes such as human trafficking and narcotics smuggling makes the technology crucial. At the launch, he pointed to recent cross-border cooperation successes as evidence of the system's value, according to the Indonesian National Police's official website.
His examples included an Interpol fugitive's arrest in a human trafficking case at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, an operation that stopped ketamine smuggling, and the discovery of an underground laboratory.
Separately, Reuters reported that Indonesian authorities announced two major drug operations in October 2026. Authorities seized 1.16 tons of ketamine hydrochloride aboard the Mongolian-flagged tanker MT Global 168 off North Sumatra. The drugs had an estimated street value of 3.48 trillion rupiah, or roughly $192.6 million. Eight crew members were arrested: seven Indonesians and one Taiwanese national.
The other operation uncovered about 1.2 tons of methamphetamine, valued at around 2.16 trillion rupiah, in a clandestine laboratory in Aceh province.
International cooperation and planned upgrades
Indonesia also participated in Interpol's Operation Liberterra III, which ran from November 10 to 21, 2025. Results reported by Interpol on January 26, 2026, included 4,414 potential human trafficking victims safeguarded, 12,992 irregular migrants detected and 3,744 arrests across 119 countries. Awareness campaigns were also held in Indonesia.
Further development of I-GHAS 24/7 is planned for 2027, including the integration of artificial intelligence and biometric data.