West Aceh Police Arrest 4 Residents Of Rohingya Ethnic Smugglers

The police showed four suspected people smuggling dozens of Rohingya ethnic groups to Aceh, during a meeting at the Police Headquarters, Tuesday (2/4/2024). (ANTARA/Teuku Dedi Iskandar)

The West Aceh Police have arrested four residents suspected of being involved in smuggling dozens of Rohingya immigrants into Meulaboh waters, local districts.

"The four perpetrators who were arrested are suspected to be related to a human smuggling case," said West Aceh Police Chief AKBP Andi Kirana as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, April 2.

The four perpetrators were detained at the West Aceh Police Headquarters, each with the initials HS (33), a resident of Peuneulop Village, East Labuhan Haji District, South Aceh Regency.

Then, M (46), a resident of Kuta Iboh Village, West Labuhan Haji District, South Aceh Regency, E (49), a resident of Peuneulop Village, East Labuhan Haji District, South Aceh Regency, and HI (25), a resident of Drien Kipah Village, Hand-Hand District, Southwest Aceh Regency.

"The perpetrators were arrested in separate locations," said the Police Chief.

Police Chief Andi Kirana explained that the four suspects were previously suspected of being involved in transporting dozens of Rohingya ethnic groups to the mainland of Aceh, causing one ship carrying the immigrants to overturn in Meulaboh waters, West Aceh Regency, on Wednesday (20/3).

Dozens of Rohingya previously departed from Bangladesh for Malaysia, and were picked up by four suspects around the waters of Sabang City, Aceh, with the aim of transiting temporarily in the Aceh Province.

Later, after arriving in Aceh, the Rohingya ethnic ones who were transported will be taken to land routes to the North Sumatra region, and will then be dispatched to Malaysia by sea.

So far, the police are still digging up some information from a number of suspects who have been detained at the West Aceh Police Headquarters.

Police Chief Andi Kirana explained that this smuggling action allegedly involved a number of fishermen from Aceh Province.

In this case, the police also confiscated a number of evidences, including 1 unit of the iPhone 11 Promax smartphone, 1 unit of the Infinix smartphone brand, 1 unit of the Nokia 105 cellular phone, 1 BNI savings book in the name of Safarina with account number 181xxx360.

Until now, the police are still conducting investigations and investigations related to the alleged Rohingya smuggling case.

The four suspects were also charged with Article 120 Avat (1) and (2) and/or Article 114 paragraph (2) of the Republic of Indonesia Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration and/or Article 55 Paragraph (1) to 1e of the Criminal Code, with a maximum imprisonment of 15 years.