RRI.CO.ID, Makassar - Immigration officials at the Makassar Class I Special TPI Office in South Sulawesi, successfully intercepted an attempt by a Chinese national to obtain an Indonesian passport using forged identification documents. The individual, identified by the Indonesian alias AT, was discovered to be a foreign national currently holding a Limited Stay Permit (KITAS).

"He attempted to apply for an Indonesian passport at the Makassar Immigration Office," explained Head of the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration for South Sulawesi, Friece Sumolang, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

"During the application process, officers became suspicious because the applicant was not fluent in Indonesian," he added as quoted by Antara.

The breach was caught through a combination of officer intuition and biometric technology, beginning when a system scan revealed that the applicant's biometric data was identical to an existing profile for a Chinese national with the initials LJ.

Following this discovery, document verification was conducted in coordination with the Makassar Population and Civil Registry Agency (Disdukcapil), which confirmed that the National ID Card (KTP), Family Card (KK), and Birth Certificate provided under the name AT were all fraudulent and invalid.

Realizing that his deception had been uncovered during the interview stage, the suspect managed to flee the premises while waiting for further processing, an act known as the escape that triggered immediate follow-up by authorities.

Immigration authorities clarified that while certain foreigners can obtain identification in Indonesia, there are strict legal boundaries governing the process. For instance, KITAS holders, who possess a limited stay permit, are strictly prohibited from obtaining an Indonesian KTP.

In contrast, foreigners with a Permanent Stay Permit, (ITAP) are eligible for a Foreigner's e-KTP. This document serves as a valid form of identification but remains distinct from the standard KTP issued exclusively to Indonesian citizens.

Makassar Immigration is now pursuing Pro Justitia legal action against the suspect. Additionally, Friece Sumolang urged Disdukcapil to strengthen their filtering process for electronic KTP applications to prevent similar data manipulation.

He emphasized that Immigration is ready to assist other agencies by cross-referencing their comprehensive database of legal foreign residents to prevent future security breaches.

The detection of this fraud highlights the critical role of biometric scanning in preventing identity theft and the illegal acquisition of state documents. By matching the applicant’s physical data against the foreigner database, officers were able to expose the manipulation that traditional paperwork failed to catch.

Furthermore, this incident underscores the need for inter-agency synergy between Immigration and the Civil Agency (Disdukcapil) to verify the status of applicants who may be foreign nationals. Establishing a unified digital filter would allow for real-time verification, ensuring that only eligible Indonesian citizens are granted national identification and passports. ***