May 16, 2007
Police at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport have arrested four men and four women for allegedly sending migrant workers overseas without a permit.
Airport police chief Sr. Comr. Guntur Setyanto said Tuesday the suspects were caught while arranging departure documents for would-be migrant workers at the airport's international departure desks.
The scalpers planned to send 25 people, eight of them underage, to several Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific countries.
Police confiscated 25 passports and cash totaling Rp 8 million (see photo) believed to belong to the would-be migrant workers.
Guntur said police had observed the suspects for two weeks and noticed the eight people working in three separate groups.
"The suspects recruited migrant workers from their villages in Java and Lampung. The people charged village women who wanted to work overseas between Rp 2 million (about US$215) and 5 million," he said.
The eight people allegedly violated the law on migrant worker protection, which bans individuals from sending people to work overseas.
"The law only allows formal firms to supply and send migrant workers overseas and even this must be under control of the Manpower Ministry," he said.
If proven guilty, the suspects could face up to five years jail.
Meanwhile, the 25 prospective migrants were sent to the office of the Manpower Ministry for further handling.(by Multa Fidrus)
