The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Police have continued their investigation into an alleged human trafficking network by naming two more suspects, YLR, 38, and MF, 33, both employees of state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura in Kupang.

The naming of YLR and MF as suspects brings the total number of suspects in the case to 15.

The police also claimed that both suspects had allegedly pocketed Rp 2.6 billion (US$192,000) from the illegal enterprise.

NTT Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Jules Abast said Wednesday the police were digging deeper into an alleged connection between the group in Kupang and a network in Medan, North Sumatra.

Further investigation is needed following the discovery that YLR also served as a recruiting agent for PT CSA-Medan and acted as the person in charge in approving prospective migrant workers to be flown to Medan, North Sumatra.

Jules said YLR had confessed to working as a recruiter for six months and had earned up to Rp 2.6 billion.

YLR is also believed to have acted as the person who arranged the departure of prospective migrant workers from other recruitment agents in NTT.

“This is why cases of human trafficking are rife, especially through airports. There is the involvement of insiders,” said Jules, referring to YLR, an employee at El Tari Airport in Kupang.

According to Jules, because of YLR’s arrest the police managed to detain 13 of YLR’s team members. The police are currently investigating six other human trafficking networks in NTT in coordination with the North Sumatra Police and the National Police Criminal Investigation Department.

The other suspect is El Tari Airport aviation security officer MF. MF played a role as a recruitment agent for migrant workers to Surabaya, East Java, and Medan. MF also asked other suspects to make fake IDs and handled operations at El Tari Airport.

“As an agent, MF sent off 100 migrant workers. As an El Tari Airport handling officer, he sent off 89 people,” said Jules.

Separately, PT Angkasa Pura El Tari Airport general manager Wahyudi said he felt cheated by the involvement of two of his employees in the human trafficking case.

“I feel cheated because they were well-behaved and did not display suspicious attitudes. Please investigate this. We will not hamper the case. We want it to be fully uncovered,” Wahyudi told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Wahyudi added that he was unclear about the precise details of the two suspects’ involvement in the case.

Although two of its employees are accused of involvement in human trafficking, the airport continues to run as usual.

Wahyudi denied that the two employees held bank account balances of up to Rp 2.6 billion as disclosed by the NTT Police.

“We hope these are the only two employees involved in human trafficking. However, we will be cooperative if the police want to question other employees,” said Wahyudi.

He added that aviation security officers had three times foiled the illegal departure of migrant workers through El Tari Airport.

“We are committed to combating human trafficking in NTT. Therefore, we continue to work with relevant parties to combat human trafficking,” he said again.

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