"They have been placed at a hotel pending coordination with the UNHCR, because the Immigration Director General did not have a place for them in Lampung," Head of the Bandar Lampung Immigration Office Edmon Arwin said here Wednesday.
He said the illegal immigrants consisted of 74 males, 11 females and 4 small children.
He said the 89 illegal immigrants had been caught in a cooperation between the Lampung water police, Lampung police, South Lampung police, and the army.
They boarded a boat from Belawan and headed for Australia to seek political asylum.
They boarded a fishing boat in Rajabasa waters in South Lampung regency, Lampung province.
Earlier South Lampung police chief Ajunct Senior Commissioner Bahagia Dachi said that the illegal immigrants from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Europe did not have any official papers and wished to go to Australia by way of Indonesia.
He said the arrest was preceded by a report of M Ruswan (63), of Panjang sub-district, Bandarlampung, to South Lampung police that he is taking a group of foreigners asking to be taken to Christmas Island, Australia.
Ruswan and his son, Heri, and a friend Ali were fisherman taking the illegal immigrants who paid them Rp35 million.
But after arrival at Kandang island, Ketapang, on Monday night, another fisherman came with a bigger boat taking the place of the smaller one.
But as soon as the owner of the boat realized that the illegal immigrants wanted to go to Australia, he changed his mind, especially they had no official papers because of their status of foreign tourists.
He then lied to the immigrants about taking them to Australia, and instead headed for Canti pier in Rajabasa sub-district, some 30 kilometers from Anak Krakatau volcano.
"He told the immigrants he wanted to a better generator and spare-parts before going to Christmas Island in Autralia, as the boat was actually not in good condition," he said.
With the help of the local fishermen, he went ashore for the excuses but actually reported to South Lampung police, but the immigrant held his son to make sure that he return to the boat.
But his son managed to free himself by jumping to the ocean leaving the nearly 100 illegal immigrants on the boat.
Following the report from the boat`s owner, the police arrested the illegal immigrants floating aimlessly some 0.5 miles from the Canti pier.
In the beginning when to be evacuated the immigrant refused to be taken, but the South Lampung police eventually with the coordination of Lampung water police helped them and the evacuation could be carried out on Tuesday at 6 pm.
(Uu.H-NG/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
