'I've Deposited IDR 75 Million', Cries Indonesian Citizen Victim Of Smuggling To Australia

Policewoman who is a member of the Directorate of Water Police of the NTT Regional Police calms an Indonesian citizen who is a victim of an attempt to smuggle people into Australia/Antara

NTT - Putu sobbed when interviewed by a number of journalists at the Office of the Directorate of Water and Air Police (Ditpolairud) of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Police. Every now and then he wipes the tears that keep coming out of his eyes while trying to hide his face from the camera's spotlight.

The regret can be seen on the face of the woman, aged around 35, who is the only female smuggler victim out of a total of 26 people who will be smuggled. They were rescued by the police on Monday, April 11 when they were about to leave for Australia on a wooden boat that was very unfit.

While sobbing, the woman from Bali said she had deposited IDR 75 million in money to her recruiter with the promise that she would be employed on a plantation with a daily payment of 20 Australian dollars. "I have deposited IDR 75 million in money to recruiters," she said in a low voice.

Her tears were still flowing, her face and body language filled with despair as her dream of making dollars in Australia had vanished.

Meanwhile, he has deposited tens of millions of rupiah in money to his recruiters, and either it can be returned or not. Even though she wants to be able to get a lot of fortune so that she can help her husband's work. Her husband knew about her departure for Australia and when she asked for permission, her husband gave her permission to go to Australia. After being left by a number of reporters interviewing her, Putu was still crying. Her tears didn't seem to dry up because she was sorry she had taken the wrong path to earn dollars.

She also tried to be calmed down by a policewoman who served in the Ditpolairud of NTT Police, named Aulia. She also calmed her down by hugging and stroking Putu's back.

Unlike Putu, a victim of a people-smuggling case from Bali, Made, also admitted that he regretted the decision he had made. He even deposited more money to his recruiters than Putu had already deposited.

"I have also deposited IDR 85 million, because I received a tempting offer to be able to work in Australia with a large salary," he said. Made has been looking for work for a long time, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, he was dismissed from the company where he worked.

The prospective workers to be smuggled in on average have to deposit between IDR 70 million to IDR 90 million to their recruiters to be able to be employed in Australia. The continental country was chosen, partly because of its close proximity to the island of Timor in NTT.

They get the job offer through the "facebook" application. After that, the recruiter directed them to send a message via facebook message box to make a transaction and was given a phone number.

Each interested person is asked to first transfer part of the fee to an account number belonging to a recruiter named Sugito, which later the rest can be paid off at a meeting in Kupang. While in Kupang, the prospective illegal workers were placed in one of the well-known hotels there, the worker was convinced by the offer and the lure of the recruiters.

However, all of that disbanded, after on April 11 at 23.00 central Indonesia time when they arrived at Tenau Harbor, the recruiter showed the ship that would be used to sail to Australia.

Suddenly the 26 Indonesian citizens who were to be smuggled in immediately refused and canceled themselves to leave. They also had an argument with recruiters and no longer believed in the services provided.

At the Office of the Ditpolairud of NTT Police in the Bolok area, Kupang, the faces full of regret looked lethargic. The hope of getting a lot of money and a better fate, was dashed because of the wrong path they had taken.

As a result of an argument between prospective workers and recruiters, residents around the port immediately reported it. The police arrived and immediately arrested Sugito or S, a resident of Bali, and managed to save the 26 Indonesian citizens who were about to be smuggled in.

They come from different areas in Indonesia. One from North Sumatra, the other from West Java, four from Central Java, nine from East Java, seven from Bali, and four from West Nusa Tenggara.

The Indonesian citizens from various regions in Indonesia were promised to work on plantations in Australia with a salary of up to IDR 30 million per month, as it was known from the examination that Sugito offered a job in Australia to Indonesian citizens who were interested in the lure of a salary of IDR 30 million per month.

The job offer process was spread through social media, namely Facebook with the aim of attracting many people who wanted to work in the Kangaroo Country. Everyone who wants to work in Australia is based on the results of the examination, while Sugito admits that each person must deposit between IDR 80 million and 90 million per person.

The prospective workers are also known to want to be employed on plantations in Australia but do not yet know what kind of plantation it is.

The arrest of Sugito as the person in charge of transporting 26 Indonesian citizens to Australia became a big question mark for the police in NTT in dismantling the people smuggling case. The reason is that each region has its own people to recruit Indonesian citizens who want to work in Australia.

Not only that, but the police also suspect that there is a certain group in Australia who will pick up the Indonesian citizens if they survive or escape to the Kangaroo country. Police Commissioner Nyoman Budiarja.

Currently, Sugito has not been named as a suspect in the case because it is still under investigation, but the police believe there will be new perpetrators who will be exposed to the public. Sugito is also suspected of violating Article 120 paragraph (2) of Law Number 6/2011 concerning Immigration.

Currently, the 26 Indonesian citizens are placed in one of the rooms of the Polairud NTT Sub-Directorate which is 4x6 square meters in size. They carried backpacks and stretched out floor mats for lying down and resting. They have been questioned by the police and are now waiting for the schedule to return to their respective areas.