Chinese Citizens And 6 Southeast Sulawesi Residents Threatened With 15 Years In Prison For The Smuggling Of Foreigners To Australia

The suspects in the smuggling case were led by investigators from the NTT Police Ditreskrimum at the NTT Police Headquarters, Kupang, Monday (13/5/2024). ANTARA/Kornelis Kaha

NTT Deputy Police Chief Brigadier General Awi Setiyono revealed that one foreign national (WNA) from China and six Southeast Sulawesi residents were threatened with 15 years in prison for allegedly smuggling five Chinese foreigners into Australia. "They have been named suspects and threatened with Article 120 paragraph (1) and (2) of Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration and a minimum threat of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 15 years in prison," said Awi Setiyono in Kupang, NTT, Antara, Monday, May 13. The police and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) thwarted the smuggling of five foreigners. In addition to imprisonment for a maximum of 15 years, he said, the five Indonesian citizens and one foreigner were also threatened with fines in the form of cash worth Rp. 500 million to Rp. 1.5 billion. The case was revealed after PSDKP Kupang submitted the People Smuggling case on May 8, 2024 to the Ditreskrimum Polda NTT. The ship without documents with 6 foreigners and 6 Indonesian citizens as crew members were arrested during the operation. In this case, the perpetrator used the modus operandi by giving the crew a reward of Rp. 5 million and promising an additional fee of Rp. 50 million when they arrived in Australia. "They disguise themselves as fishermen looking for sharks and sea cucumbers in border waters between Indonesia and Australia, especially on Papela Island which is still under the law of the Rote Ndao Police, NTT Police," said the Deputy Chief of the NTT Police. From the results of the investigation, the ship departed from Samuan Island, Muna Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, on May 4, 2024. After sailing to Larantuka on May 5, 2024, they rested for one night there. The ship continued its journey to Kupang on May 6, 2024. On Oesapa beach, foreigners got off the ship and stayed two nights at a hotel, while the crew remained on board for reasons of engine failure. Of the six foreigners arrested, Jiang Xiao Jia is the owner of the ship as well as a smoother (smuggler) who has lived in Indonesia for 3 years and has a family on Samoan Island. The legal process against the suspects is still ongoing. Five foreigners will be handed over to Kupang Immigration for the deportation process, while one foreigner as a smoother will be further processed. Awi said that six suspects from Southeast Sulawesi with the initials MA (51) from West Muna Regency; RM (40) South Konawe Regency; AB (32) West Muna Regency; MS (47) West Muna Regency; JL (43) West Muna Regency; and BT (29) West Muna Regency. They will also undergo a legal process in accordance with applicable regulations.

The Deputy Chief of the NTT Regional Police emphasized that the case of people smuggling is not new in the region. The NTT Regional Police have handled similar cases several times since 2021. This latest case is still under further investigation.