Captain Of Suspect Disposal Of B3 Waste In Natuna, 21 Crew Members Of Foreign Tankers Will Be Deported By Immigration

Illustration of beaches affected by disposal (dumping) of B3 waste or black waste in the sea. (Between)

JAKARTA - The Batam Immigration Office oversees 21 foreign nationals (WNA) without passports who live in a hotel in Batam City, Riau Islands (Kepri). They are crew members of the MT Arman tanker (ABK).

Head of Information Technology and Immigration Communication at the Batam Immigration Office Rizky Yudhaikawira said the deportation was carried out after their documents were submitted by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK).

"In accordance with the results of yesterday's meeting in the near future, we will take immigration administrative action, one of which is deportation. Later we will update again, after this everything is still running because it involves many agencies, of course we do not necessarily deport," he said during a press conference in Batam, Riau Islands (Kepri), Thursday, May 16, which was confiscated by Antara.

He explained that the 21 people were known to be in the process of being tried in the waste pollution case by the MT Arman tanker at the Batam District Court.

"We from Immigration, in this case, will take firm action in the near future, because this is the problem at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Ministry of Environment and Forestry), we are still waiting and making intense communication so that it can then be submitted to Immigration for action," he said.

Legal Advisor to the Defendant Mahmoud Mohamed Abdelaziz, who is the captain of MT Arman's ship, Pahrur Dalimunthe, said that the crew was at the hotel based on the ship's captain's orders.

Hal tersebut mengingat agenda pembukti dalam perkara sudah selesai dan ABK mengalami penurunan kesehatan akibat terlalu lama berada di kapal.

"So when the proof has been completed, it should be sent home. Other cases are like that, they are free witnesses, the same as us when we are summoned to the court after giving our witnesses free to go anywhere. The only difference is that they are foreign nationals, so we ask the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to return their passports," said Pahrur.

Pahrur regretted the actions of the KLHK investigator who detained the crew's passport, even though the crew was only a witness.

Previously, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry named the captain of the MT Arman 114 ship with the Iranian flag with the initials MMA (42 years) as a suspect in the disposal of B3 waste or black oil waste in Natuna Waters, Riau Islands.

Director General of Environmental and Forestry Law Enforcement Rasio Ridho Sani said the determination of this suspect was a follow-up process of the results of Bakamla RI's arrest of the MT Arman 114 ship on July 7, 2023.

"The MMA of Egyptian citizens has been named a suspect by KLHK investigators for disposal of waste in Natuna Waters, Riau Islands some time ago," he said.