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)