Rohingya refugees sit on a truck after being relocated from Southern Aceh province to Banda Aceh on November 7, 2024. - AFP
JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities have discovered 68 foreign nationals, including Rohingya and Bangladeshi citizens, at a palm oil plantation in Dumai, Riau Province, believed to be preparing for a sea crossing to Malaysia.
Local residents spotted the group at around 10.40 pm local time on Saturday (April 26) along Jalan Parit 2 in the Tanjung Penyembal subdistrict and immidiately alerted the police and immigration authorities.
"The group consists of 26 Bangladeshi nationals and 42 Rohingya individuals, including ten women and two children,” Dumai immigration enforcement unit head Totok Purnawan told Metro TV.
Police and immigration officials have launched a joint investigation into the incident, with authorities stating that further action will be taken as enquiries continue.
"Preliminary findings suggest that the group intended to travel to Malaysia using illegal maritime routes,” he added. - Bernama
