Three labor firms raided

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

A tipoff led to the Jakarta Police and government officials raiding three labor export firms in separate locations for illegally sheltering 168 prospective migrant workers on Thursday.

The team, which included officials from the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration, found 95 people housed in basic conditions in a former factory building in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta. All were promised jobs in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan as housemaids.

Police said the shelter was operated by two people identified only by their initials as "WN" and "R", who were from labor exporters PT Mustari Mitra Mahkota and PT Iin Era Sejahtera respectively.

Police found another 63 people in the second shelter located in an office area in Kalideres, West Jakarta, who had also been promised jobs in Asia as maids. Police said the shelter was supervised by "F" and "BK" -- both directors of PT Bina Karya Lestari.

Ten more prospective workers were found in a second shelter in Kalideres, run by a "MZ" and a "BB", owned by PT Sukma Karya Sejati.

Police said the three companies had no licenses to recruit and to shelter the job seekers who had been mistreated.

"Although the companies have permits to operate as labor exporters, they don't have the licenses to operate the shelters," general crimes chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sigit Sudarmanto said.

He said that all the migrant workers were told to sleep on the floor without adequate bedding and were not given sufficient facilities as the regulations stated.

Although the police have yet to declare any suspects in the case, they said those found guilty of violating Law No. 39/2004 on manpower faced a maximum penalty of 10 years' jail and/or a fine of Rp 15 billion (US$1.68 million).

All the workers were now being sheltered at the ministry's facility in Ciracas, East Jakarta, while the shelter supervisors were being questioned by the police.