JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities have smashed a human trafficking network in North Kalimantan, arresting seven suspects and rescuing 82 victims, police said on Thursday (May 8).
The operation was launched following inspections by the Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Enforcement Task Force, led by the national police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim).
During the operation, officers boarded the ferry KM Talia on May 5 and KM Bukit Sibuntang the next day, uncovering dozens of individuals being trafficked illegally to Malaysia via unofficial routes, including small ports on Sebatik Island, with Tawau, Sabah as the intended final destination.
The migrants, many of whom lacked proper documentation, were charged between 4.5 million rupiah and 7.5 million rupiah (around US$280 to US$470) for the journey, police said in a statement.
"This effort will not stop here. We are continuing the investigation to uncover the international network behind this case,” Bareskrim’s human trafficking division director, Brigadier General Nurul Azizah, said.
The suspects, believed to have been operating since 2023, face multiple charges under Indonesia’s laws on migrant worker protection, human trafficking, and immigration, with potential penalties of up to 15 years in prison and fines totalling billions of rupiah if convicted.
The police are coordinating with the military, immigration officials, prosecutors, local governments, and the Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Agency (BP3MI) to support the victims’ repatriation and rehabilitation.
"We are also working with the Ministry of Communication and Digital and the cybercrime unit to block social media accounts and online adverts linked to illegal overseas job offers,” Nurul Azizah added. - Bernamapolice, human trafficking, North Kalimantan, Sebatik Island, Tawau, Sabah
