Three labor firms raided

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.