Police Arrest 2 Suspects in Smuggling 9 Uzbek Nationals

KUPANG - The East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police's Water and Air Police Directorate (Ditpolairud) has named two people as suspects in the case of smuggling nine Uzbek citizens (WN) who were to be illegally deported to Australia through NTT waters.

Director of Polairud Polda NTT Kombes Irwan Deffi Nasution said the two suspects were initials YL (59) and SLAR (52).

"The two suspects are suspected of preparing a sea transport facility that will be used to illegally bring nine Uzbek citizens to Australia," he said, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, June 11.

The case was revealed after Ditpolairud received intelligence information on April 6, 2026 regarding the plan to depart nine Uzbek citizens through the Nunbaun Sabu Port, Kupang City.

Following up on this information, the officers who conducted the investigation managed to secure nine Uzbek citizens along with an Indonesian citizen in a house in Alak Village, Kupang City.

From the disclosure of the case, the police confiscated a number of evidence in the form of a motor boat, cash Rp55 million, three mobile phones, and 13 jerrycans of solar fuel that were allegedly used to support the smuggling action.

The results of the examination showed that the two suspects were promised a profit of IDR 325 million if they managed to send the foreigners to Australia.

"Of that amount, both of them are known to have received an advance of Rp65 million," he said.

Irwan said the disclosure of the case was part of the police's efforts to prevent human smuggling practices that use NTT as a transit and departure route to Australia.

In the process of handling the case, the NTT Police Ditpolairud coordinated with the Polri Divhubinter, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of Uzbekistan, and the NTT Directorate General of Immigration Regional Office.