Police Raid the Shelter for Illegal Women Workers in Lumajang, Couples Become Suspects

Released the case of raiding the illegal TKW shelter/DOK Polda East Java

SURABAYA - The Lumajang Police, East Java, raided a house where prospective female workers (TKW) or Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) are sheltering in Sukorejo Village, Kunir District, Lumajang Regency. The plan, they will be taken abroad.

In this case, the police named three suspects, namely a married couple with the initials HR, 39, and his wife LJS, 47. Apart from the couple, the police also named another suspect SR, 50, a resident of Pondok Kopi, Duren Sawit District, Jakarta East.

"This case is related to alleged violations of acts that intentionally placed Indonesian migrant workers abroad without the complete required documents", said East Java Regional Police Chief Inspector General Toni Harmanto in a case release at the East Java Police Headquarters in Surabaya, Tuesday, March 7.

Meanwhile, Lumajang Police Chief AKBP Boy Jeckson S, explained that this case was uncovered based on information from the public about the existence of a shelter for prospective female workers (TKW) or Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) in Sukorejo Village, Kunir District, Lumajang Regency.

After conducting an investigation, the team then moved to a house in Sukorejo Village on Sunday, March 5 2023. At the location, officers found 17 prospective TKW who were accommodated at the house, all of whom came from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

"Of the dozens of people, only three people have residence documents. One person is even three months pregnant", he said.

Boy said the 17 people had been in the shelter for 10 days. They were waiting to be dispatched to the Middle East to work illegally in Saudi Arabia, as promised by the suspects.

Boy said HR had known SR since May 2022. Since then the two have worked together in sending prospective migrant workers to the Middle East. Meanwhile, LJS, as the wife of HR, has only joined in October 2022.

"Then HR and SR recruited victims after receiving requests from SR", he said.

In this case, HR and LJS acted as sponsors in charge of providing a bureau, looking for potential migrant workers and financing the transportation of victims from their place of origin to the shelter. From this activity, the couple received a profit of between IDR 2 million and IDR 5 million per prospective TKI.

Boy said the suspects had flown six people as illegal migrant workers since May 2022. It was only when the planned departure of 17 prospective migrant workers was thwarted by the police. The suspect was charged with the PMI Protection Act or the Trafficking in Persons Act.

"We are also developing the Law on Money Laundering Crimes", he said.