Illegal labor suppliers caught at int'l airport

Illegal labor suppliers caught at int'l airport
Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Jakarta's international airport saw police arrest six men Monday for allegedly sending migrant workers overseas without proper permits.

The airport police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Guntur Setyanto said the illegal agents were arrested while arranging departure documents for would-be migrant workers at the airport's international departure desk.

In preliminary questioning, the six men told police they had planned to send 60 female workers, most of them underage, to several Middle East and Asia Pacific countries.

From the agents, police confiscated 60 passports, six electronic tickets, 60 visas and training documents.

Guntur said they had been watching the six suspects since mid September.

The police said the agents had been operating separate businesses but each used similar procedures.

Guntur said they recruited young women from villages in West Java and charged them between Rp 2- and 3 million for traveling documents and lodgings during their training.

"The suspects tried to send the workers overseas without being equipped with agreement between the workers and the would-be employees," Guntur said.

"They did not have insurance or diplomas of job competence, as required by the law."

He said the agents would usually forge all documents to say the would-be employees were 21 years of age.

On average police said the women involved with the agents were 20 years and under.

The six men would be charged for violating articles 103 and 104 of the law on migrant worker protection, which bans individuals from sending people to work overseas.

Maximum punishment for said offenses is five years in jail.

"The law only allows formal firms to supply and send migrant workers overseas and even this must be under the control of the Manpower Ministry," Guntur said.

"The 60 prospective migrants will be sent back to their respective village."

On Monday, police also announced they had arrested a family including a husband and wife and two young children for stealing from cars parked at the airport.

The police seized from the family one 12-inch television set, a bag, two cellular phones and a car stereo set.

"This is a new modus of theft," Guntur said.

"The family rented a car in Pekalongan, Central Java and then traveled to Jakarta to look for targets."

The suspects had targeted computer laptops and car stereo sets.

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