Bali Police Set Couples For TIP Suspects And Migrant Worker Fraud

Deputy Director of Special Criminal Investigation of the Bali Regional Police AKBP Ranefli Dian Candra (left/ANTARA/Rolandus Nampu

The Bali Police's Special Criminal Investigation Directorate has named a husband and wife from Sumbawa, NTB, namely Agus Kusmanto and Elly Yuliantini, as suspects in a criminal case of trafficking in persons and fraud of prospective Indonesian migrant workers from Bali.

Deputy Director of Special Criminal Investigation of the Bali Police AKBPRANefli Dian Candra said the suspects were suspected of trafficking people with the mode of Indonesian labor service companies through the Diah Wisata Foundation which is located at Padang Galak Street, Kesiman, East Denpasar, Bali.

The suspect recruited a number of prospective Indonesian migrant workers to work in plantations and hotels in New Zealand and Turkey.

"The suspect recruited Indonesian migrant candidates or prospective workers and promised to send and place them in Turkey and New Zealand without having an Indonesian Migrant Worker Placement Permit (SIP2MI), but has not been dispatched," said Ranefl as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, June 20.

The disclosure of the case of fraud and trafficking in persons was first reported by I Putu Erik Hendrawan, a victim of the couple's fraud who previously intended to work in New Zealand.

Ranefli explained that victim Erik Hendrawan in early March 2021 visited the Diah Wisata Foundation office and was offered by the owner of the Agus Kusmanto Foundation.

At that time, the victim was promised to be hired in New Zealand with a salary of Rp. 30 million each month. However, to get there, the victim had to pay off his obligations by depositing Rp. 85 million for the processing of travel documents to the destination later.

Furthermore, because he was tempted by the offer, the victim also gave Rp85 million, but was paid in stages three times from March to April 2021.

Until July 2021, the victim was not dispatched by the Diah Wisata Foundation and the reporter tried to contact the owner of the Agus Kusmanto Foundation, but his cell phone number was no longer active.

Several times after that the victim went to the Diah Wisata Foundation, but the office has been closed. Feeling cheated, the victim reported the incident to the SPKT Polda Bali.

After further investigation, the Bali Police's Ditreskrimsus found that the case had hit many victims, reaching 80 people. On average, the victims were asked to collect money in varying amounts ranging from Rp. 25 million to Rp. 85 million to the total loss of the victims reaching Rp. 1.6 billion.

For this action, the two suspects were charged with multiple layers of articles, namely Article 86 letter c in conjunction with Article 72 letter c of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 18 of 2017 concerning the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) to 1 of the Criminal Code or Article 87 paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 72 letter c of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 18 of 2017 concerning the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) to 1 of the Criminal Code.

In addition, Article 2 of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 21 of 2007 concerning the Eradication of the Crime of Trafficking in Persons in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) to 1 of the Criminal Code.