Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Returns 26 Indonesian Citizens Related To Online Scams From The Thailand-Myanmar Border

Indonesian citizens who were repatriated from the Thailand-Myanmar border. (Source: Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

JAKARTA - The Government of the Republic of Indonesia through the Directorate of Protection of Indonesian Citizens of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon and the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, managed to repatriate 26 Indonesian citizens from the Thailand-Myanmar border and arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Wednesday at around 06:00 WIB.

All Indonesian citizens were immediately dispatched to the relevant agencies for handling. One of the Indonesian citizens is a Troubled Indonesian Migrant Worker (PMIB) and is suspected of recruiting.

"The person concerned is temporarily accommodated in the Banten BP3MI shelter to undergo examination by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Police," said the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement, Wednesday, October 28.

Meanwhile, 25 other Indonesian citizens/PMIB will be placed in the Bambu Apus RPTC belonging to the Ministry of Social Affairs for further investigation assessment processes, consisting of 22 men and four women.

Previously, the Indonesian citizens fled from companies carrying out illegal online scam operations in Myawaddy, Myanmar. Through the coordination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with authorities in Myanmar and Thailand, the Indonesian citizens were successfully dispatched from conflict areas in Myanmar to Thailand to undergo an assessment process indicating victims of the Crime of Trafficking in Persons (TPPO) by local authorities, before being finally repatriated to Indonesia.

For Indonesian citizens who have been verified as victims of TIP, the government will provide assistance in the form of rehabilitation, social reintegration, empowerment, and repatriation to their area of origin, according to the mandate of the Law on the Protection of Indonesian Citizens and PMIs Abroad.

However, if in the deepening process it is found that there are parties involved as perpetrators or responsible parties, then the Indonesian Police will follow up on it in accordance with applicable legal provisions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges every prospective Indonesian migrant worker to always follow the applicable official procedures and regulations, both in Indonesia and in the destination country, to avoid the risk of fraud, exploitation and legal problems that can harm themselves and their families in the country.