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Mahfud says govt officials, private parties involved in human trafficking
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD has said there was a strong indication that alleged human trafficking crimes in Batam involved government officials and private parties.
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Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD (right) and Financial Transactions Reporting and Analysis Center (PPATK) chairman Ivan Yustiavandana (left) attend a hearing before House of Representatives Commission III overseeing law and human rights in Senayan, Jakarta, on March 29. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
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oordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD has said there was a strong indication that alleged human trafficking crimes in Batam involved government officials and private parties.
“I have the list of their networks; [we] will investigate into it, whether it’s true,” Mahfud said during a visit to Santa Theresia Shelter in Sekupang, Batam, Riau Islands, on Tuesday.
The shelter is run by the local Catholic church under Chrisanctus Pascahlis Saturnus, more popularly known as Romo (Father) Paschal, which is active in human trafficking victim protection.
Mahfud said that there was a report from Batam stating that although the government had clear regulations and laws on human trafficking crimes, there were networks in Batam involving administrative offices and private companies.
“[We] will check these data further, whether further steps and actions are needed to be taken,” the senior minister said.
Mahfud underlined that human trafficking was a crime against humanity and needed to be immediately addressed. Those who were involved in sending workers to Malaysia illegally were violating human rights, he said.
Paschal said he had a serious discussion with Mahfud on the issue. “He promised to follow up [the report] seriously,” said the clergyman who also heads the Pangkalpinang Catholic Diocese’s head of Pastoral Justice, Peace, Migrants and Nomads Commission.
