Police Arrest Suspect Of Ship Sinking In Malaysian Waters, Role In Recruiting Illegal Migrant Workers

Head of the Public Relations Division of the National Police Public Relations Division Kombes Ahmad Ramadhan (center) / PHOTO of the Police Public Relations DOC

JAKARTA - The National Police have arrested two suspects in a series of shipwreck accidents in the waters of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Both are recruiters of illegal Indonesian citizens (WNI).

"Two people are suspected of being the perpetrators of the crime of protecting Indonesian migrant workers, as recruiters for these migrant workers. Where the migrant workers using a boat had an accident," said Head of the Public Relations Division of the National Police Public Relations Division Kombes Ahmad Ramadhan to reporters, Monday, December 27.

The two suspects had the initials JI and AS. Both recruited several illegal immigrants to go abroad illegally.

For JI, the police have recruited five people. Of the people he recruited, four of them died in the incident.

Meanwhile, the US recruited four people. Two of them died under the initials NIS and F.

"So until now, there are two suspects who have been detained by investigators and are currently still being investigated, the process is still in the process of following up on the extent to which illegal recruits work in Indonesia who are illegally employed abroad," said Ramadhan.

Both were charged with Law Number 18 of 2017, concerning the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers. However, it is possible that investigators will impose articles related to the Crime of Trafficking in Persons (TPPO).

"This will be investigated. We will also raise this as a criminal act of trafficking in persons. But we are investigating this, currently investigators are only applying the article on the placement and protection of migrant workers illegally, the indications are there," said Friendly.