Garut Police: 200 People Work In The Sea Abroad Illegally

The police gave a press statement disclosing a criminal case of trafficking in persons in Garut Regency, West Java, Monday (19/6/2023). (ANTARA/Feri Purnama)

Garut Resort Police said there were about 200 Indonesians who were victims of a criminal act of trafficking in persons (TPPO) who were illegally employed to fish in overseas seas by a migrant labor distribution company in Garut Regency, West Java.

"There are about 200 people in the Fiji Sea and the African Sea, we are still waiting, whether there are other victims or not," said Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Garut Police AKP Deni Nurcahyadi during a press conference on the disclosure of the TIP case, quoted by ANTARA, Monday, June 19.

Garut Police revealed the practice of TIP by an illegal labor distribution company with an office address in Tanjung Kamunding, Tarogong Kaler District, Wednesday (7/6).

The results of the disclosure, he said, there were 10 people who were ready to leave for work abroad, and three people, namely the owner of the company and his assistant who have now been named as suspects.

The company, he continued, has been operating since 2017, so far it has dispatched approximately 300 people to work as crew members of fishing vessels in Fiji and South Africa waters.

"It has been operating since 2017, from 2017 until now 300 people departed from the PT," he said.

He explained that the company's activities only have a business legal entity, while several other permits such as the ship's crew placement permit do not exist, so it can be called illegal distribution activities.

The company, he continued, is a core office that has been recruiting prospective workers from various regions in Indonesia to be channeled into migrant workers in the fishing sector in Fiji and South Africa waters.

"The country's destination is to Fiji and South Africa, they are placed as crew members on fishing boats," said Deni.

He revealed that the existence of the migrant labor distribution company had violated the rules that did not provide protection when workers had problems abroad.

"When the victim is dispatched to the sea, when there is no permit from the business, when the victim experiences intimidation or experiences things we don't want, the company is not responsible because it does not have legal for the victim," he said.

The police have currently named three suspects in the TIP case in Garut, namely initial R (41) as the owner of the company, then AS (26), and MF (23) as assistants to find workers and take care of all administrations.

The three suspects have now been detained at the Garut Police Detention Center to undergo further legal examination and are charged with Article 10 of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 21 of 2007 concerning the Eradication of TIP, in conjunction with Article 53 of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 18 of 2017 concerning the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers with a minimum penalty of 3 years and a maximum of 15 years in prison.