NTB Police Reveals Trafficking In Persons To Iraq, Mode: Salary Of IDR 7 Million Per Month

Illustration of criminals (ANTARA)

MATARAM - The West Nusa Tenggara Regional Police (Polda NTB) revealed a case of alleged trafficking in persons to Iraq by naming a recruiter from North Lombok Regency with the initials ER (38) as a suspect.

"We have detained the ER suspect and now the investigation file is in the process of being rectified," said Director of General Criminal Investigation (Dirreskrimum) of the NTB Police, Kombes Pol Teddy Ristiawan, quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, June 7.

In determining ER as a suspect, said Teddy, investigators for the protection unit of women and children (PPA) applied Article 10, Article 11 in conjunction with Article 4 of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 21 of 2007 concerning the eradication of criminal acts of trafficking in persons (TPPO) and/or Article 81 jo. Article 69 of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 18 of 2017 concerning the protection of Indonesian migrant workers (PPMI).

"According to the article we suspect, the suspect faces a maximum prison sentence of 15 years with a maximum fine of Rp600 million," he said.

In this case, according to him, investigators actually named two suspects. Apart from ER, there are other suspects who act as investors with the initials SR.

"So this suspect recruited with capital from SR whose address is in Sumbawa. However, the latest information we got, SR has passed away in 2022," he said.

Teddy explained that his party handled this case of trafficking in persons starting with a report of a victim with the initials MR (31) from North Lombok Regency. The report was submitted on April 10, 2023.

"Mulai April itu kami langsung melakukan penyelidikan dan penyidikan dan berhasil mengungkapkan peran tersangka sampai pada proses penangkapan dan penahan," kata Teddy.

From the victim's report, he said, it was revealed that ER's mode of recruitment was not in accordance with the procedure, namely individually, not through companies registered as companies for the placement of legal Indonesian migrant workers (P3MI).

The ER suspect carried out the mode of promising MR victims to work in Saudi Arabia with the lure of a salary of Rp. 7 million. To further attract the attention of the victim, the ER suspect gave a fit of Rp. 3 million and a debt repayment of Rp. 1.5 million.

"So, this is one of the modes of PMI recruiters by promising victims to work in favorite places with fantastic salaries plus a fit money reward," he said.

Because he was tempted by this mode, said Teddy, MR's victim in mid-2021 agreed to follow the direction of the ER suspect to make a passport at the Sumbawa Immigration Office.

"There (Sumbawa Island), the victim and suspect ER met SR," he said.

After the passport and administrative needs were completed, SR coordinated with an agent in Iraq with the initials AM (Indonesian citizen). The victim was alone from NTB who was dispatched to Jakarta by SR.

"Before finally leaving for Iraq on October 17, 2021, the victim was accommodated in the West Jakarta area for five days," he said.

Arriving in Iraq, said Teddy, the victim under the control of an Indonesian citizen with the initials AM carried out work in the domestic field as a household assistant (AST).

"While in Iraq, the victim worked at several employers without a salary. It lasted 10 months," he said.

The victim also in July 2022 realized that he had been deceived in trying to escape from the employer where he worked as an AST. "When he ran away, the victim suffered a broken leg," he said.

The incident was also known by the employer until finally the victim MR was returned to the agency under AM's control.

"While at the agency shelter in Iraq, this victim secretly contacted the Indonesian Embassy in Baghdad," he said.

The Indonesian Embassy also responded to this by immediately picking up the victim who was at the AM agency shelter location. The presence of the victim at the shelter also became the attention of the police in Iraq by legally processing AM's actions in terms of trafficking in persons.

"So, during the trial process for AM in Iraq, the victim testified. Until finally the trial was over, the victim was sent back to Indonesia on February 3, 2023 and made a police report on April 10, 2023," he said.