There Is An Illegal Practice Which Allows Indian Citizens To Enter Indonesia

Illustration (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Police have arrested three people for allegedly circumventing government policies requiring a quarantine period if they have a travel history from India. Of the three people, two of them were father and son.

"There are 3 people who have been arrested", said Head of Public Relations at Regional Police (Polda Metro Jaya) Commissioner Yusri Yunus to reporters, Tuesday, April 27.

The father and son have the initials S and RW. They helped foreign citizens (WNA) from India with the initials JD enter Indonesia without going through the quarantine process on Sunday, April 25.

"The person concerned (JD) without going through quarantine then managed by people with the initials S and RW can succeed without quarantine and continue to return to their home", said Yusri to reporters, Monday, April 26.

In carrying out the action, this father and son claimed to be officers of Soekarno Hatta Airport. They offered JD assistance in exchange for around IDR 6.5 million.

"This is what was then carried out by these perpetrators, be it the caretaker or the passenger to avoid the 14-day quarantine. He paid IDR 6.5 million to S. This mode is what we are currently investigating", said Yusri.

Currently, the three people, namely the Indian foreigner, S, and RW are still being examined intensively. Because, from the results of the temporary examination, the father and son were not airport officials. They only confessed to tricking JD.

"If they confessed to JD they are the airport employee. It's not true, both are not. RW is S's son", said Yusri.

The police also continue to explore the modes used by the two. There are allegations that many other actors used a similar mode.

"The point is they let people go through quarantine. Are there other perpetrators? We are still investigating this matter. The problem is that there are already many naughty people, people from abroad without quarantine can pay to enter. That's why I say this is mafia practice. We're still investigating it", said Yusri.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) emphasized that the ban on Indian citizens and travelers from entering Indonesia was due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in that country.

"Visa services for Indian citizens have been stopped since Thursday, April 22 at 12.00 p.m. local time", said the Director-General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights Jhoni Ginting in a written statement received in Jakarta.

The termination of visa applications, he said, was in accordance with the instructions of the Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly to anticipate the spread of COVID-19 from India.

"Since yesterday afternoon, I have ordered verbally in accordance with the Minister's direction for visa applications from India to be stopped", he said.

In fact, in the follow-up to the policy, the class I immigration office, especially TPI Soekarno-Hatta, had already repatriated 32 Indian citizens on Sunday, April 25.

Immigration Information and Communication Technology (TIKIM) Head Sam Fernando said 32 Indian citizens were repatriated by using Emirates Airlines flight number EK359 at 00.40 a.m. local time from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to Dubai.

While waiting for the repatriation process, said Sam, 32 Indian citizens were at the special place for Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta international arrival with supervision by related parties involving airlines, aviation security, and the Port Health Quarantine (KKP).

"The refusal to enter 32 Indian citizens is an anticipatory step taken by Soekarno-Hatta Immigration to prevent the Imported Case of COVID-19", he said in a written statement received by VOI, Sunday, April 25.

Furthermore, Sam emphasized that Soekarno-Hatta Immigration measures were in line with the policies issued by the Directorate General of Immigration on April 23, 2021.

The content of the policy regulates the refusal of entry of foreigners who have a history of travel from Indian territory within 14 days before entering Indonesian territory as well as the suspension of granting visit visas and limited stay visas for Indian citizens.

"The policy to restrict the entry of travelers to Indonesian territory is temporary and will be further evaluated pending the development of the situation while still coordinating with the COVID-19 Task Force, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia", he explained.