Polri evacuated two Indonesian nationals held by tin-smuggling syndicate in Malaysia

Indonesian National Police’s Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation (Dittipidter) evacuated two Indonesian nationals who were allegedly held captive and assaulted in Malaysia by a cross-border illegal tin ore smuggling syndicate.

‘We carried out the rescue operation for our citizens who were being held, together with other Indonesian nationals, but the incident took place in Malaysia,’ Dittipidter Brig. Gen. Mohammad Irhamni said in a written statement on Friday (22 May 2026). He said the rescue operation was carried out through collaboration between the Police, the Migrant Worker Protection Service Centre (BP3MI) of the Riau Islands, the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).

Irhamni said the two Indonesians from Bangka Belitung originally worked with three other perpetrators to smuggle tin ore from Bangka to Malaysia. During the process, a dispute occurred within the syndicate. ‘The three of them detained two of their colleagues because they were accused of cheating. The victims had received money, but the tin ore was not shipped to Malaysia,’ he said.

As a result of the dispute, the two victims are believed to have been subjected to abuse up to attempted murder in Malaysia. The information was received by Dittipidter Bareskrim Polri, which immediately coordinated with the Police Attaché in Malaysia and PDRM. ‘Thanks to the rapid actions of our Police Attaché colleagues in Malaysia, in cooperation with PDRM, our citizens who were subjected to detention, assault, and attempted murder there could be rescued,’ Irhamni said.

Irhamni said the crackdown on this syndicate was an instruction to secure Indonesia’s natural resources. The tin ore, he said, is a commodity that should be used to boost domestic economy. ‘President Prabowo Subianto, in his Asta Cita, emphasised that minerals, especially tin, must be exploited as much as possible for the welfare of the Indonesian people. But in reality tin is frequently smuggled to Malaysia,’ he said.

Despite being victims of detention and assault, the two Indonesians were brought to the Bareskrim for further questioning. They are strongly suspected of involvement in illegal tin smuggling. Authorities are also examining links between this group and other tin-smuggling networks. ‘The assault, of course, is being handled by PDRM against the three perpetrators. However, for the tin-smuggling syndicate that they carried out, we will follow up in accordance with our remit, the Directorate of Tipidter, to enforce the law,’ Irhamni said.