The case came to the light when two water police officers pretended to become would-be Indonesian migrant workers dispatched to Malaysia.
Tarakan, N Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Water Police Directorate of the North Kalimantan Provincial Police arrested a Malaysian national on charges of human trafficking in the Sebatik waters off Nunukan City.

"The suspect is a member of the gang smuggling illegal Indonesian migrant workers (to Malaysia)," Water Police Director of the North Kalimantan Provincial Police Senior Commissioner Heri Sasangka stated in Tarakan, North Kalimantan, on Wednesday.

Sasangka remarked that the Malaysian, identified as Azizan alias Iksan, was a skipper of a speedboat carrying would-be Indonesian migrant workers from Sebatik to Tawau, Malaysia.

Azizan charged the would-be Indonesian migrant workers an average of Rp1 million each to get to Tawau, he revealed.

"The would-be Indonesian migrant workers paid the money to the person employing the illegal migrant workers, who is now on the wanted list in Nunukan. He later ordered the suspect to bring the would-be Indonesian migrant workers to Tawau, Malaysia," he stated.

"The case came to the light when two water police officers pretended to be would-be Indonesian migrant workers to be dispatched to Malaysia," he stated.

On its way to Tawau, the two water police officers, pretending to be would-be migrant workers, ordered the speedboat to stop and asked the skipper to show the necessary documents. However, he had not secured a permit from the authorized agency to dispatch the would-be migrant workers to Tawau.

If found guilty, Azizan could be sentenced to up to 10 years' imprisonment.
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Translator: Susylo Asmalyah/Suharto
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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