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.