Police hold Afghans

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Sumbawa Police placed 29 Afghans in custody over the past week for entering Indonesia without proper documents.

Sumbawa Police chief Lt. Col. Erlan Lukmanul told Antara news agency on Monday the Afghans entered Indonesia along with 17 Iraqis aboard a wooden boat that landed on Maluk beach on Sumbawa island.

Erlan said the Afghans were unlikely to be questioned due to language difficulties.

"Our investigation into the case is quite slow mainly because they do not speak English or Arabic, but their own language," Erlan said.

Police sent the 17 Iraqis to Bali's capital Denpasar for deportation a day after they landed on Sumbawa.