Polda Metro Jaya reveals why TIP suspects sent victims to Libya

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The General Crimes Directorate of Polda Metro Jaya has revealed why suspects in a human trafficking (TPPO) case diverted the route from Türkiye and sent the victims to Libya.

Director of General Crimes Investigation at Polda Metro Jaya, Senior Commissioner Iman Imanuddin, explained that this was due to the suspects’ strong local networks and the widespread practice of slavery that generates quick cash.

“The suspects were directly connected to shelter networks in Libya; as soon as the victims arrived at the location, the deploying agent would immediately receive a cash payment from the local agent as a form of transaction,” he said at a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

Iman explained that this transaction system triggered severe exploitation of the victims. Employers in Libya regarded the migrant workers as having been fully purchased.

“As a result, they were forced to work arbitrarily according to the employers’ wishes,” he said.

In carrying out their scheme, the suspects initially only convinced the victims that they would be employed in Türkiye.

“However, all travel documents were held entirely by the agents, so the victims were unaware that they were in fact flown to and handed over to slavery networks in Libya,” said Iman.

Iman also noted that this cross-border crime involved a well-organised syndicate, including the involvement of Indonesian nationals (WNI) residing abroad as agents, as well as local agents in Libya.

“To dismantle this network down to its roots, the Polda Metro Jaya investigation team is coordinating with the International Relations Division (Divhubinter) of the National Police and the Indonesian Embassy to conduct direct inspections in Libya,” he said.

In light of this incident, Polda Metro Jaya, together with the Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Service Centre (BP3MI), has urged the public not to be easily tempted by offers of work abroad and to always verify the legality of procedures and official documents before departing.