Minister Of Immipas, Agus: Case Of Extortion Of 30 Immigration Officials At Soetta Airport Becomes A Improved Momentum

Minister Imipas, Agus Andrianto (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Immigration and Corrections (Imipas) confirmed that the illegal levies case involving 30 Immigration officials at Soekarno-Hatta Airport (Soetta) became a momentum to make thorough improvements in the immigration service system.

Minister Imipas, Agus Andrianto, thanked the Chinese Embassy for the report that uncovered 44 cases of extortion by immigration officers at Soetta Airport.

"This is a warning to all ranks of the service unit to carry out their duties in a mandate and not carelessly," Agus said in Jakarta, Sunday, February 2.

Agus also emphasized that the Ministry of Imipas is open to criticism and suggestions that can be accounted for. "If the Chinese Embassy does not inform us, we will not know. With this report, we immediately take corrective steps," he said.

Previously, the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia sent an official letter on Tuesday (21/1/2025) to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the extortion case allegedly carried out by the Soetta Airport Immigration official who has now been removed from his position.

In the letter, the Chinese Embassy revealed that at least 44 cases of extortion had been identified, with a total of Rp32,750,000 being returned to more than 60 Chinese citizens who were victims.

"This is only a small part of the many cases of extortion. There are still many Chinese citizens who do not file complaints because of a busy schedule or are afraid of countermeasures when entering their destination country," the Chinese Embassy wrote in the letter.

As a precautionary measure against similar practices in the future, the Chinese Embassy proposed several steps, such as the installation of a sign of a ban on giving tips and an invitation to report extortion in three languages (Indonesia, Mandarin, and England) in the airport immigration checkpoint area.

In addition, the Chinese Embassy also instructed travel agents in their country not to advise tourists to bribe immigration officers in Indonesia.

Responding to this report, the Ministry of Imipas has removed 30 immigration officials at Soekarno-Hatta Airport and replaced them with new personnel. Currently, all officials who have been removed are undergoing internal examination.

"We will not tolerate extortion. This is the first step in ensuring our immigration is cleaner and more professional," said Agus.

With the removal of immigration officials involved in extortion, the government hopes to restore international confidence in Indonesia's immigration system and improve the quality of services at airports.