The suspects are being investigated by Indonesia’s national police criminal investigation unit and the Riau Islands provincial police.
“In this deportation batch, 11 Indonesian crewmen were arrested for transporting 7.5 tonnes of Indonesian tin sand illegally to Malaysia,” consular official Jati H. Winarto said.
The crewmen and the other deportees arrived at Batam Center International Ferry Terminal under escort from Indonesian police, Johor Bahru consulate staff and Riau Islands police.
Winarto said Malaysian maritime authorities detained the men on Oct. 14, 2025 after intercepting their unregistered fiberglass boat carrying illegal tin sand from Indonesia to Malaysia.
“They were arrested in waters off Tioman Island, Johor, without travel documents or paperwork related to their cargo,” he said.
Authorities estimate the shipment weighed 7.5 tonnes, with the boat and cargo valued at about 1.1 million Malaysian ringgit, or roughly 4.3 billion rupiah.
The 11 crewmen from Belakangpadang, Riau Islands, were charged under Malaysia’s Immigration Act 1959/1963 and sentenced to three months in jail or fined 3,000 ringgit.
“The seized boat and tin sand remain under further investigation by the Pahang state maritime enforcement agency,” Winarto said.
He said the Johor Bahru consulate had taken all required measures under Malaysian law to ensure protection for the 11 Indonesian nationals.
“The crewmen were deported through Malaysia’s Program M run by the Immigration Department in Putrajaya,” he said.
From 2024 to 2026, the Johor Bahru consulate handled six cases of alleged illegal tin smuggling from Indonesia, Winarto said.
“The 11 crewmen have been handed over to Indonesia’s criminal investigation unit for further inquiry into the alleged smuggling,” he said.
They are undergoing intensive questioning by national police investigators and Riau Islands police at provincial headquarters in Batam.
Police said the tin sand originated from Indonesia’s Bangka Belitung islands.
Investigators believe the suspects had smuggled tin sand to Malaysia on several previous occasions using similar routes and methods repeatedly.
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Translator: Laily R, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Primayanti
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