24 NTB Residents Become Victims Of TIP In Lampung, Police Say There Will Be New Suspects

The Lampung Regional Police named the possibility of a new suspect in the alleged criminal case of trafficking in persons (TPPO) with 24 residents of West Nusa Tenggara as victims. "The Lampung Police TPPO Task Force team, which previously rescued 24 victims from NTB, is currently conducting an investigation into the Bogor area, West Java," said the Director of General Criminal Investigation of the Lampung Police, Senior Commissioner Reynold Hutagalung, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, June 15. He said his staff was investigating a house in the Bogor area which was previously suspected of being a shelter for TPPO victims from NTB before being transferred to Bandarlampung. "The location that we are currently investigating was obtained from the statements of the victims, the candidates for Indonesian migrant workers, and the perpetrators. The house was used as a shelter location before going to Lampung," he said. Renynold said his staff together with the West Java Police and Bogor Police Criminal Investigation Directorate on Wednesday 14 June raided a house located in Bolang Village, Tajur Village, Citeureup District. "When it was raided, the 2,000 square meter house was empty. The house was then installed a police line for investigation purposes," he said. From the statement of the relative of the owner, Reynold added, the house was indeed rented to the perpetrators of the TPPO who are currently being detained at the Lampung Police. "The house was deliberately rented out by one of the owner's relatives to look for benefits from brokers or agent prospective migrant workers," he said.

Previously, the Lampung Regional Police arrested four suspected perpetrators of the Middle East network who wanted to dispatch 24 NTB residents as illegal migrant workers. The dozens of prospective migrant workers were evacuated from a shelter in the Rajabasa sub-district, Bandarlampung City.