Police Collaborate With Interpol Bangkok On Repatriation Of 20 Indonesian Citizens Victims Of TIP

Illustration of human trafficking (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The National Police cooperated with Interpol Bangkok to handle 20 Indonesian citizens (WNI) who were victims of a criminal act of trafficking in persons (TPPO). In particular, about the repatriation process.

"The National Police Team will meet with NCB Bangkok at the Royal Thay Police Headquarters to discuss Interpol Bangkok's support in handling the 20 Indonesian citizens case," said Head of the Hubinter Police Division, Inspector General Krishna Murti in a statement, Tuesday, May 9.

The National Police began coordinating with the 20-year-old Bangkok Interpol, which was successfully released from the conflict area in Myanmar.

In that coordination, the team sent by the National Police will ask for help from Interpol Bangkok to convey the TIP case to local authorities.

"The main target of the discussion is so that Interpol Bangkok can communicate the case to the Thai authorities in order to determine that the 20 Indonesian citizens are victims of TPO," he said.

The goal is that dozens of Indonesian citizens are not constrained by the administrative process at the repatriation stage, especially regarding fines. So, they can be sent home immediately.

"So that they are not subject to an overstay fine and can be immediately returned to Indonesia," Krishna said.

20 Indonesian citizens who were victims of criminal acts of trafficking in persons (TPPO) through online fraud, were successfully released and taken out of Myawaddy, Myanmar, and are in the process of repatriation.

The release effort, said the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement received on Sunday, May, was carried out through the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) Yangon in Myanmar and the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok in Thailand.

"For the cooperation between the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon and local networks that have access to the Myawaddy area - where the Indonesian citizens are being held captive, they can be released and taken to the Thai border," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The twenty Indonesian citizens were brought to the border in two waves, namely on May 5, 2023 as many as 4 people, and May 6, 2023 as many as 16 people.