3 People Become TIP Suspects In Palu, Victims Become PSKs

The Palu City Police (Polresta), Central Sulawesi held a press conference with media crews in Palu, Friday (16/5/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Angel)

PALU - Palu City Resort Police (Polresta), Central Sulawesi has named three suspects in the crime of trafficking in persons (TPPO) with the intention of being exploited.

"So after the investigation, the Palu Police named three perpetrators as suspects in the TIP," said Head of the Palu Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Kasat Reskrim), AKP Ferdinand E. Numberi, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, June 16.

He said the three people who were named as suspects were the result of the investigation of two different TIP cases.

The police initially received reports from residents regarding the TIP case involving women and children to work as sexual workers in the Palu City area.

Based on the report, the joint team of the Palu Police Satreskrim then started an investigation.

He explained that earlier on Saturday (10/6), the police began an investigation with his party using one of the online applications based on reports from residents to make an agreement to meet the perpetrators at a hotel.

Then the car containing four people consisting of two men and two women arrived at the location.

One of the women and men got out of the car and the male party received a fee of Rp. 1 million, while one of the women who was a minor entered the hotel room number 02.

The Palu Police then secured the four people for further questioning.

The police secured evidence, in the form of a white Toyota Cayla type car with police number B 2431 BZO along with the key, a REALme C15 cellphone, a REALme C3 brand cellphone, a Oppo F7 mobile phone and Rp1 million in cash.

"MF plays a role in picking up children who are employed as sex workers. Then, RA is tasked with managing online applications and bargaining with customers, while the decree of girls who accompany the victim to carry out their duties and DS children are used to work," he said.

The suspects MF and RA were charged with Article 83 in conjunction with Article 76F and/or Article 88 in conjunction with Article 76l of Law Number 35 of 2014 for amendments to Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection and/or Article 296 of the Criminal Code and/or Article 506 of the Criminal Code with a legal threat of 1 year in prison up to 15 years in prison.

Meanwhile, another TIP case, the arrest occurred on Tuesday (13/6) at around 00.00 WITA where suspect AH and a woman were arrested by the police at a hotel in Palu City with the same arrest pattern.

In this case, AH admitted that the woman who was with him in the room was his girlfriend with the initials DT who had been used to become a sex worker three times.

The police secured evidence, namely two units of Vivo brand mobile phones and Rp350 thousand in cash.

Meanwhile, suspect AH, applied Article 296 of the Criminal Code and/or Article 506 of the Criminal Code with a penalty of 1 year to 1 year and 4 months in prison.

"Currently, the suspects MF and AH have been detained at the Palu Police Rutan for further investigation, but for RA, no detention is carried out considering that they are still minors but are required to attend every Monday and Thursday as a form of supervision," he said.