The three suspects, identified as SA, MS and MWK, are being prosecuted under Article 120(1) of the 2011 Immigration Law in conjunction with Article 457 of the 2023 Criminal Code.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp1.5 billion (about US$84,000).
“The three are suspected of organizing the illegal departure of a number of foreign nationals to Australia via sea routes in eastern Indonesia,” Immigration Director General Hendarsam Marantoko said on Monday.
He said the group used Indonesia as a staging point to send Pakistani nationals illegally to Australia for work.
The case stemmed from the arrest of four Pakistani nationals by police in Aru, Maluku, in September 2025 at a guesthouse in Dobo.
The four, identified as SK, AS, MS and SUR, told investigators they entered Indonesia on visitor visas after being recruited via social media by suspect SA.
Authorities said SA used TikTok to promise victims legal entry into Australia.
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“From June to August 2025, four Pakistani nationals entered Indonesia using visitor permits after being promised access to Australia through what was claimed to be a legal route,” Marantoko said.
He added that Indonesia would pursue legal action despite the victims being foreign nationals and Australia being the intended destination.
Immigration official Yuldi Yusman said the case file was declared complete, or P-21, by prosecutors on April 10, 2026, paving the way for trial.
An official from the Attorney General’s Office said the suspects would be transferred to the Tangerang District Attorney’s Office.
Investigators said SA, who is married to an Indonesian citizen, set up a fake travel agency and coordinated the operation.
He allegedly received US$28,000 from victims, arranged transport from Tangerang to eastern Indonesia, and issued threats from detention.
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Authorities said the investigation confirmed SA’s role as the main organizer of the smuggling network.
Translator: Laily Rahmawaty, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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