T

he Jakarta Police have released the chronological recount of an alleged human trafficking case in Muara Baru, North Jakarta, where 19 people, including four underage boys, were held captive inside a room on the third floor of a Muara Baru Center shophouse owned by the Bina Jasa Mina Foundation.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Thursday that nine people were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the case and five had been named suspects after preliminary investigations conducted by the police in Muara Baru precinct on Wednesday.

'€œThe five suspects were employees of Bina Jasa Mina, which included the head of the center, deputy, secretary, treasurer and deputy treasurer,'€ Rikwanto told reporters at the Jakarta Police headquarters.

The five suspects are identified as MY, 35; S, 43; YA, 41; HA, 42; and SM, 44. The other four were released due to a lack of evidence, Rikwanto went on.

He added that the 19 all-male captives were working as ship crew members recruited by Bina Jasa Mina, a foundation that recruits crew members for fishing boats.

Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) secretary Erlinda said her agency would handle the four underage victims, ranging between 13 and 15-years-old.

'€œThe police handed over the children to us today. They are set to go to the RPSA [Social Protection House for Children] in East Jakarta for recovery,'€ Erlinda said on Friday.

She added that three of the children would be sent back to their families after rehabilitation at the RPSA ended, while another child, 15, who was an orphan, would be moved to a safe house as the police needed him as a witness. Another child, 13, would also be a key witness in the case.

Meanwhile, preliminary results of the police'€™s investigation also revealed the 19 captives'€™ living conditions and how they were initially lured to the foundation.

'€œPeople from the foundation came to the victims'€™ villages and recruited them for jobs as boat hands, promising pay of around Rp 20 million [US$1,747],'€ Rikwanto said.

Police had also uncovered allegations of abuse by the suspects.

'€œOnce the victims arrived in Muara Baru, they immediately faced debt bondage and told they were responsible for covering electricity, rent and fishing supplies costs. All were locked in one room, guarded and forbidden from leaving,'€ he added.

The victims were sold by the suspects to various fishing boats at a cost of Rp 1.5 million each. Rikwanto added that the frequency of their work was determined by the boats that paid for them, and that the victims were paid only a meager amount for days of labor.

Police in Muara Baru uncovered the case when they received reports of two missing children: 15-year-old Muhamad Alwi and 23-year-old Nur Arifin, from their parents.

After the police investigation, it was revealed that the two were last seen at the Muara Baru Center commercial complex, which led to a raid on Tuesday evening by Tanjung Priok Port police, in collaboration with police from Muara Baru precinct.

The suspects will be charged under Article 2 of the 2007 Human Trafficking Law and Article 83 of the 2002 Child Protection Law and will face up to 15 years in prison.

Tanjung Priok Port Police head Adj. Sr. Comr. Asep Adisaputra said on Thursday as quoted by tempo.co that the victims were recruited through middlemen, who would be paid around Rp 100,000 to 200,000 per person.

Evidence seized by the police included 77 ID cards, 12 binders holding the names of the foundation'€™s recruits, one chalkboard detailing which boats the workers would be sent to, and a bucket from the captives'€™ room, which was used for a makeshift toilet. (dyl/nai)