Bakamla rescued eight Indonesians from suspected human trafficking in coordination with the Korea Coast Guard (KCG) operating in South Korean waters.

The rescue started from a report filed by AD, a family member of a crew working on a suspicious foreign ship, with Bakamla’s public relations department.

AD was contacted by the victim CW, who told of the oddities encountered during placement on board a ship owned by a South Korean company, identified as YMI.

Suspicion emerged when the workers were told to transfer goods in the middle of the sea with another ship. The transfer was detected and stopped by the South Korean Navy who gave a stern warning to stop and not to repeat the activity.

Realizing that what they were doing was illegal, all Indonesian crew members refused and demanded to be sent home to Indonesia.  

Bakamla’s public relations department responded seriously and the report was dispatched to the higher chain of command.

Bakamla chief Vice Adm. Irvansyah ordered the agency’s Cooperation Directorate to follow up the report and coordinated with KCG to rescue the eight Indonesian crew members.

The rescue also involved close cooperation with and assistance from the Protocol and Consular Section and Defense Attache at the Indonesian Embassy, as well as Protection Directorate General at the Migrant Workers Protection Ministry.

Currently the eight Indonesian crew members are in safe condition and have been repatriated.

 

Sea drifter

Lone drifter: Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) Central Zone's operations department head Col. Tio Togap Pasaribu (left) welcomes fisherman Jufri Mokodompis (right) on Wednesday at the Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado after arriving from Tokyo. Jufri was manning a rumpon on July 17 when the fish aggregating device was washed away by high waves, sending the fisherman adrift for 12 days before being rescued by a ship heading to Tokyo. (Courtesy of Bakamla/-)

Separately, Bakamla Central Zone welcomed on Wednesday a rescued fisherman, Jufri Mokodompis, who was adrift in the Philippines Sea for 12 days before being rescued by a passing foreign ship flying the Bahamian flag.

Welcoming Jufri at Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado were his family members and Bakamla Central Zone’s operations department head Col. Tio Togap Pasaribu, representing Bakamla Central Zone chief Cdre. Teguh Prasetya.

Jufri’s misfortune started on July 17 when he was guarding a rumpon fish aggregating device owned by Juma Sanali from West Wangurer, Bitung city, North Sulawesi. The rumpon mooring rope snapped when it was swept by high waves. The rumpon drifted approximately 33 kilometers east of Lembeh Island into Philippines waters. 

After drifting for almost two weeks, Jufri was rescued by a liquid natural gas (LNG) carrier, Asia Endeavour, a ship flying under the Bahamian flag enroute from Ashburton, New Zealand to Tokyo.

Based on a request from the rescuing ship’s crew, rumpon owner Juma reported the incident to Bakamla Bitung Station chief Lt.Col. Muhammad Ibnu Sina. The information was then conveyed to the Bakamla Central Zone and Bakamla’s Maritime Information and Logistics Management Office in Jakarta to facilitate communications with the ship captain and relevant authorities in Japan.

Bakamla coordinated with various institutions, including the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo to make sure that Asia Endeavour could dock smoothly in Tokyo and that Jufri could be repatriated to Indonesia. 

Following the administrative processes with and assisted by the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, Jufri departed from Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Tuesday to Jakarta and continued his journey with a flight to Manado.

“Bakamla’s duty is not only securing the sea but also ensuring the safety and protection of Indonesians at sea, including in an emergency like this one,” Tio said. (nvn)