52 illegal migrants from Middle East arrested in Bali
The Jakarta Post | Mon, 02/21/2011 10:11 AM
Bali police says it has foiled the attempt of 52 illegal migrants from the Middle East to reach Australia through the Madura and Bali islands waters.
The migrants were arrested when they were in the Kubu water, Karangasem regency on Saturday night, Director of the Bali Water Police Adj.Snr.Com Agus Doeta Supranggono told antaranews.com in Denpasar on Sunday.
Fifty of them were from Afghanistan and two from Iran . There were two women and several children under the age of five, according to the police.
Agus said that officers from Kubu water police Station who patrolled the area saw a suspicious motor boat, which was usually loaded with logs, at about 6:30 p.m.
”It turned out that there were passengers on board,” he said.
He said that the migrants, who had no identity cards and any other documents, left from Sumenep harbor in Madura, on KM Bunga vessel with Adi, 22, from East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, as a captain.
They were later sent to Denpasar for further questioning by the People Smuggling Unit. All of them were in good health condition, police said.
