A total of 1,305 residents have become victims, with 1,137 of them having been sent to work abroad, such as in Australia, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. Meanwhile, the remaining 168 had not departed.

The provincial police human trafficking task force head Brig. Gen. Abiyoso Seno Aji said the victims were sent abroad as tourists with tourist visas.

“But once they arrived at the destination country, they were employed as company workers, housemaids, or ship crew members.”

Of the 33 suspects arrested, 10 were company representations. Those from companies did not have the required documents or permits based on existing regulations, Abioso said.

The suspects were arrested in Magelang, Demak, Jepara, Brebes, Semarang, Pemalang, Batang, Pati, Kebumen, Banyumas, Tegal and Banjarnegara.

The Central Java Police have also coordinated with Interpol to investigate the case further.

“We urge the public not to fall for big salary promises easily,” Abioso said.

According to the Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BP2MI), only 4.6 million of 9 million migrant workers currently abroad are registered and possess formal documents.

The remaining 4.4 million, or 48.8 percent, are working illegally, and the agency has no accurate records of either their occupation or domicile overseas.

In April, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud M.D. said there was strong indication that human trafficking schemes in Batam, the Riau Islands, involved both government officials and the private sector.

Mahfud said a report from Batam stated that although the government had clear laws and regulations on the crime, human trafficking networks in the city involved local officials and private companies. In response to the report, Mahfud said he had formed a team to eradicate human trafficking in Batam and to investigate those involved in assisting, abetting or otherwise allowing the criminal activity to continue unchecked.

Last month, the senior minister said President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had instructed National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo to take stern measures against police officers who "backed" human traffickers.

Acting on the President’s instruction, Listyo last week formed a task force for investigating human trafficking, headed by Insp. Gen. Asep Edi Suheri, deputy head of the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim).

He also ordered every regional police force to form a similar unit.

The cases such as those in Central Java and Batam have come to light amid increasing reports of people forced into working for cybercrime outfits in Southeast Asia.

During the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo last month, the region’s leaders pledged to crack down on online scams operated by human traffickers that preyed on vulnerable job seekers, particularly in the poorest countries in Southeast Asia.

According to the Chairman’s Statement at the Labuan Bajo Summit, ASEAN’s planned efforts to combat human trafficking include building the capacity of law enforcement to investigate, gather data, share information and conduct joint exercises. As this year’s ASEAN chairman, Indonesia has reaffirmed its commitment to eradicate human trafficking in the region. (dre/gev)

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