Six Pakistanis to be deported

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian government plans to deport six Pakistanis back to their country on Saturday for entering the country using expired travel documents, an immigration official has said.

Director of Immigration Supervision and Operations Muhammad Indra said in a statement that the six foreigners were arrested earlier this month during a raid in Central Jakarta.

The raid, he said, was conducted after an executive of CV Indo Saipan, which sponsored the visits of the Pakistanis, informed immigration officials that the company had revoked its sponsorship of one of the foreigners, identified as Naeem Ahmad Taher.

Based on the tip-off, some of the officials, Indra said, rushed to Jl. Kebon Jeruk in Central Jakarta to trace Naem but later learned that he had left the area.

But the officials did not leave empty-handed as they were told by locals that they should go to a place on Jl. Kebahagiaan.

After arriving there, the immigration personnel nabbed the four Pakistanis with their stay permits, which had already expired.

The following day, the officials netted two other Pakistanis in the same place for a similar violation.

During questioning, the six foreigners admitted to entering Indonesia without really knowing who their sponsor was.

"They only knew someone in Singapore, to whom they each paid US$120. That person contacted CV Indo Saipan," immigration office spokesman Mursanuddin Ghani said.

"They (the Pakistanis) are currently at Immigration Quarantine in Kalideres, West Jakarta. They will leave this Saturday if the process (of their deportation) is completed," he added. (01)