Four more Sri Lankans arrested by police
Four more Sri Lankans arrested by police
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Police Foreigners Supervision Unit
(POA) has arrested another four Sri Lankans for allegedly working
without permits and having no passports, a police officer said
yesterday.
The four were arrested on Friday at a rented house in
Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, the POA officer, who requested
anonymity, said.
"The four are believed to have been brought here by a Sri
Lankan named Baboo, who reportedly brokered the transfer of
illegal immigrants to Australia via Indonesia," he said.
Friday's raid was carried out to arrest Baboo. However, the
main target escaped capture and police only managed to arrest the
four illegal workers.
Baboo is currently being hunted by police.
"They claimed Baboo had offered them jobs with a jacket
manufacturing company in Jakarta. They agreed to do the work
while waiting to be transferred to Christmas Island, Australia",
the officer said.
The four were identified as Selvarajah (26), Rajadiran Sloman
(32), Suppioh Selvarajoh (20) and Joseph Gilbert George (20).
They were detained at Jakarta Police Headquarters prior to
deportation, which was planned for yesterday afternoon.
Responding to questions on why cases involving illegal
immigrants frequently occurred in Jakarta, police said it was
because brokers thought Indonesia was an ideal site for their
operations.
"We have therefore taken action to curb their activities here.
We have established a team in conjunction with the directorate
general of immigration to solve this case."
Illegal workers often try to enter Australia through
Indonesia. They first catch domestic flights from Yogyakarta to
Jakarta before boarding flights from Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport to Australia, for which they only have to show domestic
boarding passes, the officer said.
Last Saturday immigration officers arrested 14 Sri Lankans for
allegedly having no passports in a raid on a house in Bangun
Reksa Housing Complex II, Tangerang.
On Feb. 26, 15 Sri Lankans were arrested at Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport for traveling without passports. The group
claimed the head of their group had their passports but failed to
meet them at the airport.
On March 3, an unidentified motorcyclist threw passports
belonging to the 15 into the Sri Lankan Embassy compound. (edt)