Foreigners Selling Door to Door Face Arrest in Indonesia's Banten Province

Immigration officers in Indonesia's Banten Province detained three Pakistani nationals on 3 November 2026 on suspicion of breaching their stay permits by selling skullcaps and calligraphy door to door. The Serang Immigration Office said the men were held in Kadu Agung Timur Village, in Lebak District, after reports from residents and local officials.

Key facts

• Three Pakistani nationals, identified by the initials MI, MAJ and MJ, were detained on 3 November 2026.
• The detention took place in Kadu Agung Timur Village, Lebak District, Banten Province.
• They are suspected of door-to-door sales of skullcaps and calligraphy.
• MI and MJ held limited-stay permits (ITAS) for remote workers; MAJ held a pre-investment stay permit.
• The case was raised at a Serang City Foreigners Supervision Team (TIMPORA) meeting on 26 October 2026.

What happened?

Maximilianus Kolbe Kristanto Lake, head of the Intelligence and Enforcement Section at the Serang Immigration Office, said officers acted after investigating reports of foreign nationals whose activities had caused concern among residents. The case began with information from Chandra Afriyadi Suleman, an official at Serang City's National Unity and Politics Agency, about a foreign national selling skullcaps door to door at the Puri Sava housing complex in Serang City.

That information was discussed at the Serang City TIMPORA meeting on 26 October 2026. On 31 October 2026, intelligence officials from Lebak Police reported three Pakistani nationals carrying out similar sales in Cibadak Subdistrict, Lebak. Immigration officers then ran an inspection operation, detaining one man while he was selling skullcaps and seizing several items as evidence. The other two were detained at their rented accommodation, in an operation carried out with local community leaders and the police.

What permits did the men hold?

According to the immigration documents checked, MI and MJ held limited-stay permits (ITAS) issued for remote workers, while MAJ held a pre-investment stay permit. During preliminary questioning, MI was found to have previously been reported selling skullcaps at the Puri Sava housing complex, and all three admitted to door-to-door sales of skullcaps.

Maximilianus said the retail trading was suspected of being inconsistent with the purposes for which their stay permits were issued.

Why is selling goods a problem?

The Serang Immigration Office treats door-to-door skullcap sales as retail trading and therefore as local economic activity. Indonesia's investment policy reserves certain business sectors for cooperatives and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and restricts foreign investment in others, so foreign nationals operating in restricted sectors could face legal consequences.

What this means for travellers

Foreign nationals working or doing business in Indonesia must comply with immigration regulations and hold permits appropriate to the activities they plan to carry out. Serang Immigration Office Head I Gusti Agung Komang Artawan said the office would not tolerate misuse of stay permits, adding: "A stay permit does not authorize unrestricted business activities."

Travellers holding Indonesian stay permits should make sure any work or business activity matches the purpose stated on their permit before arriving.

The source does not report any charges or further legal steps against the three men.