TPI Medan Special Class I Immigration Officer revealed a case of illegal smuggling of Indonesian migrant workers from Malaysia to Indonesia, Kompas reported.
The ship’s captain with the initials MZ alias Rembo (43) was arrested and named a suspect in this case.
This case started when Serdang Bedagai Police officers found an unnamed fishing boat. This was at Kuala Putri Beach, Pantai Cermin District, Serdang Bedagai Regency, North Sumatra.
The ship is known to be carrying 67 migrant workers from Malaysia. Then Sergai Police officers coordinated with Medan Immigration.
“The Serdang Bedagai Police then said that one ship and five Indonesian citizens had been detained at the Serdang Bedagai Police, criminal investigation unit, for questioning.”
This was the explanation by the Head of the Regional Office of the North Sumatra Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Jahari Sitepu at the Medan Immigration Office.
Furthermore, immigration authorities began carrying out a series of checks on five people detained by the police.
Meanwhile, the remaining passengers on the ship were returned to their homes. It was done through the North Sumatra Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Services Agency (BP3MI).
“Investigators found sufficient evidence, then carried out a pre-investigation and then named the suspect in the name of MZ alias Rembo who acted as the ship’s captain,” said Jahari.
The Head of the TPI Medan Special Class I Immigration Office, Johanes Fanny Satria, revealed that Rembo was a fisherman. That was before he was finally arrested as a smuggler of illegal workers.
“He has picked up Indonesian passengers from Malaysia to Indonesia four times, receiving a salary of IDR 6,500,000 (for one pick-up),” said Johanes.
Johanes said, before picking up illegal workers, Rembo first communicated with agents in Malaysia, then agreed on a pick-up location.
For his actions, Rembo was charged with the crime of human smuggling. As intended in Article 120 paragraph (1) of Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration Jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) 1 of the Criminal Code.
“Rembo faces imprisonment for a minimum of five years and a maximum of 15 years and a fine of at least IDR 500 million and a maximum of IDR 1.5 billion,” said Johanes, the judge.
