The Riau Islands Regional Police Fails To Send Illegal PMI Candidates Who Will Be Hired To Become Online Gambling Operators Abroad

Police officers show evidence of human trafficking cases. ANTARA/Jude

BATAM - The Directorate of General Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimum) of the Riau Islands Police (Kepri) thwarted the illegal sending of prospective Indonesian migrant workers abroad, and rescued six victims.

"The six people are from Java and will depart from Batam abroad to work there," said the Director of General Crimes (Dirkrimum) of the Riau Islands Police Kombes Jefri Siagian in Batam as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, August 25.

After securing the six victims, the police then conducted an investigation and arrested the two perpetrators of sending the victims, namely M and CH, residents of Batam.

Jefri explained that the six prospective victims will later be employed as online or online gambling operators in the Cambodian region with the lure of a salary of IDR 6-9 million depending on the type of work.

"So they were recruited by the perpetrator making circulars through social media or word of mouth. After getting a phone number, the victim then contacted the perpetrators to accept the offer," said Jefri.

After being received, the perpetrators then prepared the travel needs of all the victims, starting from tickets, passports and all other necessary necessities.

Jefri explained that the victims were sent from Jakarta to Batam, if they passed, they would go to Singapore and then Malaysia and travel overland to Cambodia.

"When he arrived in Cambodia, someone would pick up the victims," he said.

From the hands of the perpetrator and the victim, the police confiscated various evidences in the form of passports as many as 6 units belonging to the victim, cellphones, money used by the perpetrators as well as money in Thai Baht and several other pieces of evidence.

"The two perpetrators were charged with Article 4 junto 10 of the Indonesian Law concerning the eradication of criminal acts of trafficking in persons and Article 41 junto of Article 43 of Law number 18 of 2019 concerning the protection of PMIs," he said.