Police Raid Illegal CPMI Shelters In Batam Controlled By 3 Syndicated People

Illustration - The Riau Islands Police when thwarting the delivery of illegal PMI candidates in Batam waters. BETWEEN/HO-Humas Polda Kepri.

BATAM - Police have uncovered a criminal case of illegal Indonesian migrant worker shelters (PMI) in Batam City, Riau Islands (Kepri)

Sagulung Police Chief Iptu Rohandi P Tambunan said the alleged perpetrators were three people, but one fled on the wanted list (DPO).

"This disclosure started with information from the public which was immediately followed up by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Sagulung Police," said Rohandi in Batam, Monday, March 17, which was confiscated by Antara.

He explained that initially the Sagulung Police Criminal Investigation Unit checked the location of the alleged illegal Indonesian migrant worker shelter at Perum Tunas Regency Cluster Amaryllis, Sungai Binti Village.

The results of the check, he said, found illegal migrant worker shelter activities, with the presence of two prospective Indonesian migrant workers (CPMI) who would be dispatched abroad.

"Together with these findings, officers managed to secure the perpetrator with the initials IS aged 32 years," he said.

The IS perpetrator, he said, acted as the party that accommodated and processed the PMI candidate documents.

Based on information from the IS perpetrator, there was another perpetrator with the initials TA (19), who was tasked with picking up PMI initials AA at Hang Nadim Batam Airport on March 5, 2025.

Furthermore, the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Sagulung Police conducted a search for the perpetrators of TA and was arrested in the Bengkong area, Batam City.

"WE were taken to the Sagulung Police Station for further investigation," said Rohandi.

Separately, the Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Sagulung Police, Iptu Anwar Aris, explained that the alleged perpetrators were a network. IS perpetrators act as CPMI recruiters by promising jobs abroad without going through official procedures set by the government.

"These PMI candidates were promised jobs in Malaysia," said Anwar.

The IS perpetrator, he said, was tasked with accommodating CPMI at his house located at Perum Tunas Regency Cluster Amaryllis.

The IS perpetrators accommodated CPMI, while arranging travel documents such as passports and visas.

Meanwhile, the perpetrators of TA, he said, acted as couriers in charge of picking up CPMI from Hang Nadim Airport and escorting them to IS's shelter.

"The perpetrators of TA received a salary of Rp. 200 thousand for each PMI they delivered," said Anwar.

According to him, the perpetrators are suspected of working with a fugitive I (DPO), who gave instructions to TA to pick up CPMI.

Anwar said that perpetrator I acted as the main coordinator who connected CPMI with certain parties suspected of illegally sending them abroad.

The perpetrators have been operating and have sent two illegal Indonesian migrant workers to Malaysia.

In this disclosure, police officers secured evidence of a cellphone, a notebook that wrote accommodation costs for victims, wallets and pens.

According to him, the perpetrators were charged with Article 81 of Law Number 18 of 2017 concerning PMI Protection as amended by Law Number 11 of 2020 concerning Job Creation, as well as Article 55 in conjunction with Article 56 of the Criminal Code, with a threat of 10 years in prison.