Indonesian Navy Finds Body Of Suspected PMI At The Indonesia-Malaysia Border

JAKARTA - Indonesian Navy soldiers patrolling using KRI Parang-647 found the body of a suspected Indonesian migrant worker (PMI) in the border waters of Indonesia and Malaysia.

The body floats at coordinates 03 31,254 U-099 25,969 T or about 9 Nm/350° from Kuala Tanjung, North Sumatra, said the Indonesian Navy Information Service (Dispenal) in a written statement.

The body is suspected to be part of dozens of illegal PMI whose ship sank in the waters of Johor, Malaysia, in December 2021.

"At 16.30 WIB, the KRI Parang-647 supervisor saw a contact/object floating on the surface at a distance of approximately 600 yards from KRI Parang and identified that the contact was a corpse," explained the Indonesian Navy Information Service, quoted by Antara, Friday, January 7.

KRI Parang then informed the findings to the Commander of the Indonesian Navy Base (Danlanal) Tanjung Balai Asahan Marine Lt. Col. (F) Robinson Hendrik Etwiory.

"Danlanal Tanjung Balai Asahan ordered the Kuala Tanjung TNI AL Post to carry out SAR (rescue) operations and coordinate with the Coal SAR Post," explained the Information Service.

The body, which is known to be a man, was then handed over to the Kuala Tanjung TNI AL Post Commander.

From that place, the body was taken to the Batu Bara District Hospital for an autopsy. So far, officers have not been able to confirm the identity of the corpse.

However, it is strongly suspected that the bodies were part of dozens of PMIs who drowned because their ship sank in the waters of the border between Indonesia and Malaysia at the end of 2021.

Dozens of Indonesian migrant workers drowned because their ship sank when they were trying to be smuggled from Tanjung Uban, Riau Islands, Indonesia to Johor Bahru, Malaysia, in December 2021.

So far, 21 Indonesian migrant workers are known to have died as a result of the incident.

The Riau Islands Regional Police in the first week of January 2021 detained the owner of the shipwreck.

The owner of the boat with the initials A alias S was arrested by police in Lobam Tanjung Uban, Bintan, Riau Islands, Sunday, January 2.

Not only is he a ship owner, A is suspected of having illegal PMI shelters and departures in Bintan.