Migrant Workers Protection Minister Abdul Kadir Karding (third left), Riau Police chief Insp Gen Hery Heryawan (left) and acting Riau provincial administration secretary M. Job Kurniawan (second left) talking with an arrested human trafficking suspect at the Riau Police headquarters in Pekanbaru in this file photo from July 17, 2025. - Antara
JAKARTA: Riau authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle undocumented migrant workers to Malaysia amid an ongoing crackdown on illegal Indonesian labourers in the neighbouring country.
The alleged human trafficking ring was uncovered after police received a tip about suspicious activities at a house in Sungai Cingam village, North Rupat subdistrict, Bengkalis regency. N
orth Rupat Police chief Adj. Comr. Herman said officers immediately conducted a raid and found three suspected undocumented migrant workers inside the house.
“Seven others managed to escape through the back door when officers arrived. We captured two of them, while three others surrendered a few hours later,” Herman said on Wednesday (Nov 12).
According to Herman, an initial investigation revealed that the group was part of a larger group of 19 people who were planning to travel illegally to Malaysia.
The 19 individuals had initially stayed at a guesthouse in Pangkalan Nyirih village, Rupat subdistrict, for three days. They were later taken by a broker to an unofficial port for departure by boat, but the trip was cancelled because the vessel was not ready, leaving them stranded on the beach.
Three brokers, identified only as R, DK and DD, then moved 10 of the workers to R’s house in Sungai Cingam village, where they stayed for two days awaiting another departure attempt before police conducted the raid.
Herman said the whereabouts of the remaining nine workers remain unknown. Police have arrested R, who has been charged with violating Article 10 of the 2007 Human Trafficking Law and Article 81 of the 2017 Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Law.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp 15 billion (US$897,000). Authorities have also placed DK and DD on the police wanted list as they remain at large.
Meanwhile, the eight recovered prospective migrant workers are being held in a safe location for data collection and further processing before being released and returned to their homes.
According to 2024 data from the Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BP2MI), around 1.9 million Indonesian workers are legally employed in Malaysia.
However, outside that figure, hundreds of thousands more are estimated to be working in the country without proper documentation.
Both Indonesian and Malaysian authorities have been intensifying crackdowns on these undocumented workers.
Between January and October, Malaysia deported 4,882 Indonesians, most of whom were undocumented migrant workers. The Malaysian Immigration Department, in cooperation with Indonesian diplomatic missions in Peninsular Malaysia, has also launched the Program M initiative, which aims to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of around 7,200 undocumented Indonesian workers over the next two years.
Last month, North Sumatra Police also foiled an attempt to traffic 36 prospective undocumented migrant workers to Malaysia.
The group consisted of 28 men and eight women from Aceh, North Sumatra, Banten, Central Java, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and Central Sulawesi. They were reportedly planning to cross into Malaysia aboard a barge owned by a local fisherman departing from an unofficial port in Asahan regency.
Three brokers were arrested in connection with the case and charged with human trafficking. Read also: North Sumatra Police foil attempt to traffic people to Malaysia Fanny Wahyu Kurniawan, head of the Riau office of the Service Center of the Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BP3MI) urged the public not to be easily tempted by overseas job offers outside official procedures, warning that such schemes often lead to human trafficking.
“Even if undocumented workers manage to enter a foreign country, they remain at constant risk of arrest and deportation by local authorities,” Fanny said on Wednesday.
He added that many undocumented migrant workers recently repatriated from Malaysia through Riau province were found to be suffering from severe skin diseases, hypertension, respiratory problems and tuberculosis, with several pregnant women and children among them.
“Many were victims of illegal brokers who enticed them with promises of high-paying jobs in Malaysia. We hope this serves as a reminder that taking illegal routes carries serious risks and often ends in deportation,” he said. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
