National Police Chief Launches I-GHAS 24/7 Interpol System to Fortify Indonesian Borders Against International Fugitives

The Indonesian National Police, commonly known as Polri, has officially taken a monumental step forward in national security and international law enforcement cooperation. Chief of the Indonesian National Police, General Police Suyudi Ario Seto, has spearheaded the official launch of the Interpol Global Hit Alert System, widely recognized as I-GHAS 24/7. Designed to radically fortify surveillance, tracking, and apprehension mechanisms at all official ports of entry across the sprawling archipelago, this high-tech platform represents a profound upgrade to Indonesia’s border security infrastructure.

The high-profile inauguration ceremony took place at the Rupatama Building within the National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) in Jakarta. General Suyudi was joined by key officials, including the Head of the International Relations Division (Divisi Hubinter) of Polri, Inspector General Untung Widyatmoko, and the Director General of Immigration, Hendarsam Marantoko. The event marked a formal, synergistic alignment between Indonesia’s primary law enforcement agency and its front-line immigration services, underscoring a unified national resolve to counter transnational organized crime, cross-border syndicates, and international fugitives attempting to enter or exit Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

Background Context: The Evolving Landscape of Transnational Crime in Southeast Asia

Indonesia’s vast geography—comprising more than 17,000 islands and thousands of official and unofficial entry points—has long presented unique challenges for border control and law enforcement agencies. In recent years, the nature of transnational crime has evolved dramatically. Criminal syndicates increasingly exploit technological advancements, fraudulent travel documents, and porous maritime boundaries to move undetected across international jurisdictions.

Transnational criminal networks frequently utilize Southeast Asia as a transit hub or a safe haven for illicit activities, ranging from human trafficking and drug smuggling to financial fraud and terrorism. Historically, information sharing between domestic immigration checkpoints and international police databases operated through sequential, and sometimes sluggish, bureaucratic channels. This latency occasionally allowed high-profile fugitives to slip through border controls before international alerts could be manually cross-referenced by local customs and immigration officers.

Recognizing these systemic vulnerabilities, Polri and the Directorate General of Immigration have steadily moved toward deeper institutional integration. The introduction of the I-GHAS 24/7 system directly addresses these historical bottlenecks by bridging the technological gap between domestic border posts and the vast global network of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

Chronology and Mechanics of the I-GHAS 24/7 Deployment

The rollout of the I-GHAS 24/7 system is the culmination of months of strategic planning, technical testing, and inter-agency negotiations between Polri’s International Relations Division and the Directorate General of Immigration.

The formal introduction of the platform on Thursday, November 6, was followed immediately by operational briefings on Friday, November 7, as leadership outlined the immediate responsibilities of field personnel. According to General Suyudi, the application serves as a real-time digital bridge, directly connecting frontline immigration officers stationed at airports, seaports, and cross-border land posts with the Hubinter Polri command center.

Through this secure portal, Indonesian border control points gain instant access to Interpol’s extensive global database, which encompasses active Red Notices, Blue Notices, and specialized watchlists spanning 196 member countries. When a traveler presents their passport at an immigration counter, the system automatically queries the I-GHAS network. If a match occurs, the system triggers an immediate alert, allowing immigration officials and stationed police officers to verify identity data, confirm the validity of the international warrant, and coordinate an immediate, synchronized response.

This capability drastically reduces the time window required to identify and detain dangerous individuals. Rather than relying on delayed manual checks or post-arrival discoveries, law enforcement can now intercept suspects at the exact moment of arrival or departure.

Supporting Data and Recent Enforcement Successes

The necessity for real-time technological integration at Indonesian borders is underscored by a series of high-profile transnational crime cases successfully cracked by Indonesian authorities in recent years. These operations highlight both the vulnerability of national borders and the critical importance of cross-border intelligence sharing.

Among the notable successes cited by police leadership is the successful interception and arrest of international fugitives linked to Trafficking in Persons (TPPO) syndicates operating out of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang. Human trafficking remains a persistent regional issue, with vulnerable populations frequently exploited by sophisticated international networks moving victims across multiple Southeast Asian nations.

Furthermore, Indonesian law enforcement agencies have achieved massive victories against narcotics trafficking syndicates. These include the high-profile interdiction and seizure of 1.6 tons of ketamin destined for domestic and regional distribution, as well as the dismantling of sophisticated clandestine drug laboratories operated by foreign nationals.

In light of these operations, General Suyudi emphasized that conventional law enforcement methods are no longer sufficient to counter modern criminal enterprises. "This is why we need to strengthen our framework with technology that is consistently faster and more precise for identification, ensuring unprecedented speed in operational handling," the police chief stated in an official release.

Official Responses and Institutional Perspectives

The partnership between Polri and the Directorate General of Immigration represents a paradigm shift in how Indonesian civil and law enforcement agencies cooperate. Speaking at the launch event, Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko elaborated on the operational philosophy driving the new system.

"The core issue is how the communication collaboration that has already been established, particularly in cross-border regions, can be interconnected through a system that is truly more precise, faster, and more accurate," Hendarsam explained. He stressed that digital communication and centralized data integration are no longer optional luxuries, but absolute prerequisites for effective modern governance and security management.

Hendarsam expressed optimism that the debut of the I-GHAS 24/7 application will serve as a foundational stepping stone for an even broader, deeply integrated institutional partnership. This alliance aims not only to safeguard national sovereignty, but also to protect the economic and social stability of the country against external criminal threats.

Concluding his remarks, the Director General highlighted the shared philosophical doctrine uniting the two agencies. "Our shared commitment centers on how we maintain the same doctrine and the same orientation: Immigration for the people, and the police for the community," Hendarsam concluded.

Future Technological Roadmap: AI and Biometric Integration by 2027

While the immediate deployment of I-GHAS 24/7 represents a monumental leap forward, Indonesian authorities are already looking toward the future of border security. General Suyudi revealed that the platform is not a static technological endpoint, but rather the first phase of a broader modernization strategy.

Polri and the Directorate General of Immigration have charted a comprehensive developmental roadmap that includes the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced biometric data systems into the I-GHAS framework by the year 2027.

By incorporating AI-driven analytics, the system will be capable of recognizing complex behavioral patterns, flagging anomalous travel histories, and detecting sophisticated identity fraud, such as deepfake passport manipulations or altered facial structures. Simultaneously, the integration of biometric identifiers—such as advanced facial recognition and automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS)—will ensure that even individuals traveling under forged aliases or stolen identities can be accurately identified within seconds of presenting themselves to border authorities.

In anticipation of this technological evolution, General Suyudi has issued direct directives to all operational ranks within Polri and immigration services. Personnel must undergo rigorous training to ensure absolute operational readiness, system reliability, and technical proficiency as the infrastructure scales up over the coming years.

Broader Impact and Strategic Implications for National Security

The operationalization of the I-GHAS 24/7 system carries profound implications for Indonesia’s domestic security posture and its standing within the international community.

First and foremost, the system effectively closes traditional loopholes that have historically made developing nations attractive destinations for international criminals seeking to evade justice in Western or neighboring jurisdictions. By establishing a digital fortress at its borders, Indonesia signals to global law enforcement bodies—including Interpol, Europol, and regional partners within ASEANapol—that the country is a hostile environment for transnational fugitives.

Second, the initiative enhances Indonesia’s compliance with international aviation and maritime security standards. Global bodies frequently audit national border controls to ensure that member states actively prevent the movement of terrorists, financial criminals, and human traffickers. The adoption of an automated, 24/7 Interpol-linked alert system significantly elevates Indonesia’s compliance metrics on the global stage.

Finally, the initiative fosters a culture of deep inter-agency collaboration domestically. Historically, jurisdictional overlap and fragmented data silos between police departments, intelligence agencies, and immigration authorities occasionally hampered rapid investigative responses. By uniting under a single, shared digital architecture, Polri and the Directorate General of Immigration are setting a new benchmark for bureaucratic synergy in Indonesia.

As the I-GHAS 24/7 system goes live across the archipelago’s bustling international gateways, the message to transnational criminals is unambiguous: Indonesia’s borders are tighter, smarter, and permanently connected to the global eye of law enforcement.