Indonesians smuggled into S'pore<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AP): While Singapore police tighten enforcement,
\nsyndicates are refining their operations to smuggle Indonesian
\nworkers into the city-state, a newspaper reported yesterday.<\/p>\n
At least 20 syndicates are using the nearby islands of Batam
\nand Bintan -- popular destinations for Singaporeans on weekend
\nholidays -- as staging points for highly coordinated smuggling
\ninto Singapore and neighboring Malaysia, The Sunday Times said.<\/p>\n
Because of the economic difficulties in its Southeast Asian
\nneighbors, particularly Indonesia, Singapore is experiencing an
\ninflux of illegal immigrants, and fears the situation will
\nworsen.<\/p>\n
Police carried out a series of highly publicized crackdowns
\nlast week, netting hundreds of illegal immigrants who had either
\nbeen smuggled in or had overstayed their work visas.<\/p>\n
The newspaper said the syndicates are recruiting workers from
\nall over Indonesia, housing them at various staging points on the
\ntwo islands, and then smuggling the laborers across the Straits
\nof Singapore at night.<\/p>\n
The unemployed workers \"plead with me to help them get out
\nfrom the economic hell,\" said Indonesian smuggler Ahmad Harman,
\nwho admitted to more than 20 smuggling runs.<\/p>\n
Typically, 10 to 15 illegal immigrants are ferried in small
\nspeedboats for the 20-minute trip from Batam or the two-hour
\njourney from Bintan, the report said.<\/p>\n
The Indonesians pay 800,000 rupiah (US$ 77), or the equivalent
\nof three months' wages, for the chance to sneak into Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"I have been out of work for seven months,\" former
\nconstruction worker Juffri Iskandar Sabri said while waiting his
\nturn. \"I know the risk of trying to sneak into Singapore, but
\nwhat else can I do? I have four children to feed.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesians-smuggled-into-spore-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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