Bangladeshi quizzed over visa offence, phone fraud

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

A Bangladeshi, who was apprehended by police last month for failing to produce valid immigration documents, has been transferred to Medan Immigration Office for further questioning.

North Sumatra Immigration Office spokesman Rostonof said his office would soon question Bangladeshi M. Tana Choudori to determine whether he had violated the country's immigration laws.

"If the investigation proves that he has violated immigration laws, he will be either brought to court or deported," Rostonof told The Jakarta Post here on Thursday.

The violation carries a maximum prison term of three years and/or a fine of Rp 15 million.

Choudori was arrested in September along with fellow Bangladeshi Husairi alias Iqbal Husen, who was accused of fraud in using the services of cellular phone operator PT Telkomsel.

Telkomsel became suspicious after cellular phone charges of its customer Nurhayati rose to Rp 500 million in just ten days. Telkomsel quickly launched an investigation and questioned another customer Yustina, who told the company that she had sold the phone and phone subscriber number to a Bangladeshi man. The phone operator immediately reported the incident to the police.

The police then arrested the two Bangladeshi men at the Sisingamangaraja Hotel in Medan. The police seized 11 SIM cards, one Matrix phone card, three ID cards owned by Husairi, and Rp 52 million in a bank account.

"That money was transferred from someone in Pakistan identified as Hasan. Both also admitted to having made phone calls to 24 countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Saudia Arabia, Bangladesh, and Aceh and Poso (in Indonesia)," North Sumatra Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Amrin Karim said.

Choudori and Husairi arrived in Medan together with Nurhayati, an Indonesian maid working in Malaysia. Upon arrival in Medan, Husairi was put on the kartu keluarga (family card) of Nurhayati and applied for phone cards. Both Husairi and Choudori used the phones to contact their colleagues in 24 countries.

Husairi is still being detained at Medan Police Headquarters.

Rostonof said the immigration office would not focus on the immigration violation only, but also determine whether Choudori was involved in human trafficking.

If Choudori is deported, he will not be allowed to enter Indonesia within six months of being deported, he added.