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Island focus: Two arrested for helping Vietnamese escape
Personnel of the Natuna Police have arrested two Natuna residents who helped six Vietnamese citizens escape from the detention facility at the Natuna Prosecutor’s Office
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ersonnel of the Natuna Police have arrested two Natuna residents who helped six Vietnamese citizens escape from the detention facility at the Natuna Prosecutor’s Office.
The six Vietnamese nationals, who were all defendants in an illegal fishing trial, managed to flee their cell with help from the two locals when people were busy celebrating the Idul Fitri festivities last Friday.
Personnel of the Indonesian Navy, the Natuna Police and the Prosecutor’s Office acted quickly after they received a report about the escape of the six foreign fishermen. They launched an investigation, which later revealed the alleged involvement of two Natuna residents, who were identified by their initials, A, 60, and ES, 25, in the escape.
The two residents reportedly mobilized the detainees, providing logistics, diesel and a pompong (a type of traditional boat) the six Vietnamese citizens were going to use to return to their country.
Natuna Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Nugroho Dwi Karyanto told The Jakarta Post on Friday that most of the preparations for the escape, starting from preparing logistics to renting a pompong, were conducted by A, who worked as an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver in Ranai city.
“Meanwhile, the suspect referred to as ES sold a pompong worth Rp 4 million [US$284.26] to A after he reported to the Natuna Police that he had lost his pompong. Obviously, they had long prepared for the escape,” said Nugroho.
The two residents are being detained at the Natuna Police headquarters. Nugroho said investigators would charge them under Article 242 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
