Yogyakarta Regional Police Arrest 2 Illegal Migrant Workers Distributors To Qatar

Wadirreskrimum Polda DIY AKBP Tri Panungko (two left) showed evidence of a criminal case of trafficking in persons (TPPO) during a press conference at the Yogyakarta Regional Police Headquarters, Sleman, Tuesday (7/11/2023) (ANTARA/Luqman Hakim)

Yogyakarta Special Region Police have arrested two suspects in the crime of trafficking in persons (TPPO) with the initials NA (32) and JN (59) who will send two women as migrant workers to Qatar non-procedurally.

"The suspect will get a 'fee' (wage) every time he manages to send Indonesian migrant workers abroad after arriving at the destination country," said Deputy Director General of the Yogyakarta Regional Police AKBP Tri Panungko, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, November 7.

Panungko said that the actions of NA, a resident of Jatinegara, East Jakarta and JN, residents of Purwakarta, West Java (West Java) were revealed after the process of departing two victims through Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA), Kulon Progo on October 21, 2023 was successfully thwarted.

Two victims who are housewives, namely NS (41), residents of Purwakarta, West Java and RN (37), residents of Bekasi, West Java, were initially promised by the suspect to be distributed as household assistants in Qatar through a fast process.

Based on the chronology of his disclosure, he explained, on October 21, 2023, the Jatanras Operational Team of the Ditreskrimum Polda DIY received information from the Immigration Office and BP3MI YIA Airport regarding the delay in the departure of three adults with the initials NS, RN, NA, and one child from NA aged six years.

They are prospective passengers on a plane from one of the airlines to Singapore as Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) without valid documents.

After going through a series of investigations, the police identified NS and RN as victims of TIP and named NA as suspects, while NA's child had been returned to his family.

Next, the police carried out the development of the case and arrested another suspect with the initials JN (59) on November 2, 2023.

Based on the results of the investigation, said Panungko, NA is known to play a role as a candidate for PMI, dispatch, and find an agent who will employ a victim in Qatar.

Meanwhile, JN is tasked with finding PMI candidates, sponsoring, and also finding passports for PMI candidates.

Two suspects attempted to dispatch NS and RN to Qatar without going through the DIY Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Service Center (BP3MI) and not supported by valid requirements documents.

The suspects tried to convince their victims that they could dispatch PMI candidates abroad with a fast process without going through official procedures.

In addition, the suspect also handed over a "sponsorship money" of Rp. 10 million which was then used by the victim to help parents and partly to prepare for passport and other equipment.

"Of course, illegal PMIs are not registered in systems that sometimes they will be employed not according to promises or are not worthy of working abroad," he said.

Head of the Yogyakarta Class I Immigration Office, Najarudin Safaat, explained that immigration officers in YIA suspected the planned departure of the illegal PMI candidates because they found discrepancies between documents and information when interviewed so that it was decided to postpone their trip.

"Visanya bekerja tapi mengakunya untuk wisata," kata Najarudin.

For their actions, NA and JN were charged with Article 2 Paragraph 1 or Article 10 of Law No. 21 of 2007 concerning TIP with a maximum imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum fine of Rp. 600 million.

Next, Article 81 Jo Article 69 of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 18 of 2017 concerning the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers with a maximum imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum fine of IDR 15 billion.

Tri Panungko said the Yogyakarta Regional Police would still investigate the possible involvement of other syndicates related to the TIP case.

"Currently we are still in the process. We will continue to explore the roles or possibly the involvement of other syndicates," said Panungko.