Atambua Immigration Rejects Visit Of Ex-Narcotics Convicts From Timor Leste

Atambua TPI officers accompany foreigners who were repatriated to Timor Leste on Wednesday 17 August. (ANTARA/HO-TPI Atambua)

NTT - The Atambua Immigration Checkpoint (TPI) in Belu Regency refused the visit of a foreign citizen (WNA) from Timor Leste with the initials VP who is a former convict of a narcotics abuse case.

"VP is listed on the deterrence list on the grounds that he is a former narcotics convict," said Head of Immigration Class II TPI Atambua KA Halim, quoted from Antara, Thursday, August 18.

He explained that VP will enter Indonesian territory on Wednesday, August 17, through the Mota'ain Cross-Border Post (PLBN) in Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

The purpose of the visit, he said, was to take a vacation to the Kupang area for a week using the Tourist Special Visit Visa (VKSK) or Visa On Arrival (VOA) facility at TPI PLBN Mota'ain.

Halim explained that at the time of examination of the travel and Immigration documents, the Immigration System (Simkim) detected the arrests for narcotics-related reasons.

"When the information was deepened by the Assistant Supervisor of TPI Mota'ain, it was known that the foreigner had been deported by the Immigration Office Class I TPI Malang, East Java, on January 29, 2021 through Mota'ain," he said.

Halim said VP was subject to a deterrence sanction that was valid for life and could not enter Indonesian territory.

Therefore, he said, action has been taken in the form of repatriation to Timor Leste because he was refused entry into Indonesian territory.

"The person concerned was sent home smoothly through the supervision of the Immigration Officer of TPI PLBN Mota'ain to the Batu Gade Immigration Post, Timor Leste," he said.