Bareskrim evacuates two Indonesian nationals held by illegal tin-smuggling syndicate in Malaysia

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Police’s Directorate of Special Crimes (Dirtipidter) of the Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) evacuated two Indonesian nationals who were suspected of being held captive and assaulted by an illegal tin-smuggling syndicate in Malaysia.

Director of Special Crimes (Dirtipidter) Bareskrim Polri, Brigadier General Pol. Moh. Irhamni, in Jakarta on Friday, said the evacuation was carried out in cooperation with the Balai Pelayanan Pelindungan Pekerja Migran Indonesia Kepulauan Riau and the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

‘We carried out the rescue of our citizens who were being held together with other Indonesians,’ Irhamni said.

He explained that three people were suspected of holding the two victims. The five are believed to be part of a syndicate for smuggling illegal tin ore from Bangka to Malaysia.

‘The victims had received money, but the tin ore was not sent to Malaysia,’ he said.

The case was subsequently reported to the Dittipidter Bareskrim Polri. Investigators then coordinated with BP3MI of the Riau Islands and the Police Attaché in Malaysia.

Thanks to coordination with the Royal Malaysia Police, the two victims were successfully evacuated from the detention site.

He said that authorities had foiled the smuggling activities of the network several times.

‘This is part of a syndicate that has been identified and we will pursue it further through investigations and prosecutions,’ he said.