Chinese nationals arrested in Papua

Chinese nationals arrested in Papua

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

Papua Sea Police have arrested 56 Chinese nationals in the past
two weeks aboard three vessels for trespassing Indonesian waters
and illegal fishing in the province.

One of the ships, a tanker, Sinar Laut Mas I, was caught red-
handed on Nov. 19 refueling fishing boats Ming Ping Yu 9721 and
Liou Zhong Yuan Yu 0021, in the Arafuru Sea. The fishing boats
were towed away on Nov. 23 after the police discovered their crew
fishing in the Arafuru Sea.

Papua Sea Police director Sr. Comr. Dwi Marsanto said local
fishermen tipped off the police about the presence of the ships.

He said local Papuan fishermen had been intimidated by foreign
vessels when sailing in the area or had their small boats trapped
in the nets of the giant ships.

The sea police were aware that the tanker was refueling
fishing boats, but the two boats managed to escape arrest. A few
days later, the police eventually captured them.

Marsanto suspected that the Chinese fishermen worked for the
same employer based overseas.

A number of the ship crewmen arrested confessed to the police
they had left China aboard a ship, but were then moved to the
tanker.

"They (the crewmen) did not know who transferred them to the
tanker or who the tanker belongs to. They were only told to
operate the ship and refuel the fishing boats," Marsanto
explained.

The police confiscated 900 tons of diesel fuel from the
tanker, four tons of fish from Ming Ping Yu and eight tons of
fish from Liou ZHong Yuan Yu. All the ships bore Indonesian
flags.

Police have named nine suspects and detained them at two
separate detention centers.

The tanker's captain Zhou Ming Ming and his subordinates Lin
Fuxzing and A Cuak are being detained at the Papuan Police
Headquarters. The other six are incarcerated at the Poumako
detention center in Timika.

The foreign nationals are facing charges under Immigration Law
No. 9/1992, Maritime Affairs and Fishery Law No. 21/2004 and Law
No. 18/1995 on customs and excise.