Illegal Indonesian Migrant Worker Smuggling Operation in Batam Exposed: Traffickers Profiting Rp3 Million per Person
The Maritime and Air Police (Ditpolairud) of Riau Islands Police have successfully dismantled an illegal Indonesian migrant worker (PMI) smuggling operation in Batam. The perpetrators were found to be profiting up to Rp3 million for each prospective migrant worker illegally dispatched through non-procedural channels to Malaysia.
According to AKBP Andika Aer, Head of the Legal Sub-Division of Ditpolairud Riau Islands Police, the primary suspect, identified as Z (Zainal), served as both a transportation provider and coordinator of illegal PMI departures. Based on confessions, the suspect was promised substantial financial incentives for successfully sending victims to the neighbouring country.
The primary suspect earned a net profit of Rp3 million for each prospective migrant worker successfully sent to Malaysia through irregular routes. Within the network’s wage structure, Zainal was promised Rp3 million per person, whilst another suspect, R (Rudi), who served as a vessel operator transporting people from the coast to rendezvous points, received Rp200,000 per person.
The case came to light after authorities secured six prospective Indonesian migrant workers (CPMI) on the shores of Nongsa Beach, Sambau Village, Batam. The operation resulted from an undercover investigation conducted by the KP BEO-5013 Baharkam Indonesian Police team on Saturday, 7 March 2026.
The perpetrators employed sophisticated methods to evade detection. Initial transport of victims involved high-powered speedboats from Nongsa shores, but they did not proceed directly to Malaysia. Police identified the use of ship-to-ship transfer techniques, in which CPMIs were moved from one vessel to another at specific coordinates in open waters. Zainal owned a 115-horsepower speedboat intended for border crossing operations, with a boat operator identified as B currently at large.
During the raid, police seized crucial evidence, including transport vessels and documentation related to the smuggling operation.
The suspects now face serious penalties under Articles 81, 69, 83, and 68 of Law No. 18 of 2017 on the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, with investigators also applying Article 20(c) of the Criminal Code to strengthen charges.
The Riau Islands Police continue investigating to locate other network members, including suspected document coordinator E. The rescued victims are currently under the care of the Batam Migrant Worker Protection Agency (BP3MI) for repatriation and further protection.
From January to October, the Coastal Security Police successfully rescued 23 non-procedural PMI victims and arrested 18 suspects involved in migrant worker smuggling networks. The Riau Police also prevented the dispatch of five female migrant workers to Malaysia and thwarted attempts to send six female prospective migrant workers through non-procedural channels to Malaysia and Japan. The Ministry of Migrant Worker Protection detected approximately 1,800 illegal migrant workers attempting to return to Indonesia for Eid celebrations.