Four Iraqi and 13 Afghan migrants arrested in East Java

Four Iraqi and 13 Afghan migrants arrested in East Java
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 12/28/2009 8:43 AM | Headlines

Seventeen foreign nationals have been arrested in Sidoarjo, East Java, for immigration violations, police said Sunday.

Four are Iraqis and the rest are Afghans, Surabaya Police chief Sr. Comr. Ike Edwin said as quoted by Antara.

“They’re now being questioned at the Surabaya Police headquarters, but we’ll be turning the case over to the East Java Police,” he said.

Ike added the foreign nationals had moved to Tlocor village in Jabon district, Sidoarjo, after “feeling unsafe in their last two stops” in Jakarta and Surabaya.

“They were arrested as they were about to take a boat to Bali,” he added.

Sidoarjo Police chief Sr. Comr. M. Iqbal said the arrests were made following tip-offs from local residents.

“Three of those arrested had no passports or visas,” he said as quoted by Antara.

Iqbal added police investigators faced difficulty questioning them because none of them spoke English.

He said Sidoarjo was a potential safe haven for illegal immigrants as it bordered Surabaya.

“Plus, Sidoarjo is on the coast, which could allow immigrants to flee through a sea route,” he said.

Indonesia has become a major transit point for people fleeing war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Sri Lanka and heading for Australia.

Earlier this month, police in West Nusa Tenggara arrested 47 Afghan illegal immigrants in East and
West Lombok.

Six were arrested at a hotel, and the rest at a local resident’s house.

Last month, more than 100 Afghan boat people, reportedly en route to Australia, were arrested in separate instances off East Nusa Tenggara and Banten provinces.

Police fired warning shots after a group of 61 Afghan boat people attacked the crew of a ship attempting to smuggle them to Australia and threw five into the sea off Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.

The boat people had been traveling from Lombok.

Jakarta Post