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uman trafficking cases involving Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) from North Sumatra is on the rise following the report from a parent who claimed his daughter was sold by a neighbor to work in Malaysia.

Belawan resident Irwansyah, 40, said his daughter Adeliana, who is just 14-years-old, had been sold by his neighbor to an agent in Malaysia to work as a waitress. Irwansyah, who works as a fisherman, claimed he had just learned about the case after Adeliana, a junior high school student, did not return home after several days.

He said that based on the accounts of Adeliana’s elder sister, Fajriana, a neighbor by the name of Ice had taken Adeliana to Malaysia. Irwansyah added that Ice was known as an illegal TKI agent, whom locals said had regularly sold TKIs to Malaysian buyers.

“Every resident here knows who the perpetrator is. I urge the police to immediately catch her and return my daughter,” said Irwansyah after reporting the case at the Belawan Port police precinct on Thursday.

Fajriana, who accompanied her father, said that Ice had taken Adeliana to Malaysia without her family’s consent. Fajriana added that Ice had bribed her and her younger sister, Nuri, to tell no one, including their parents, about Adeliana’s departure.

“I was given Rp 50,000 (US$5.50) and Nuri was given Rp 25,000. Ice told us not to tell anyone,” lamented Fajriana. She said Ice promised Adeliana a job as a waitress in a Malaysian restaurant.

“Ice took my sister to Malaysia to work. She said that Adeliana would receive a monthly salary of Rp 2.4 million,” said Fajriana, adding that Adeliana had immediately agreed because of the large salary.

North Sumatra Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Heru Prakoso said human trafficking cases, specifically those of sending TKIs to Malaysia, had gone on for a long time in North Sumatra.

“The ‘story’ is that they are sending the TKIs for legitimate jobs but upon arrival in Malaysia, they will be employed as prostitutes. This has been a long-term problem,” Heru told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Heru said cases on underage child employment overseas, such as Adeliana’s alleged experience were against the law. He added that the police would investigate this human trafficking case.

“We will investigate this case to determine whether it is related to another case uncovered by police yesterday [Wednesday],” said Heru, referring to a human trafficking suspect who was arrested for selling a number of underage women for Rp 30 million in a hotel in Medan.

Heru added that human trafficking victims were mostly minors and still attending school.