Tasikmalaya police resort chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Irman Sugema said the persons include the driver and conductor of "Merdeka" passenger bus that carried 49 illegal immigrants, seven people who monitored the journey of the immigrants and two boat crew members that carried 47 illegal immigrants.
"We have held them for interrogation," he said.
He said all of them had admitted that they only followed an order to take and see them off to crossing the sea to the Australian waters.
Irman said the police were still investigating the other party involved. "We are still conducting the investigation including checking if the cars they used were rented cars or not," he said.
He said the police had held the Merdeka bus, Inova and Avanza vans.
The Merdeka bus serving Lebak Bulus (Jakarta) - Sidereja was the bus that carried 48 illegal immigrants caught during police operations while about embarking on a boat bound for Australia.
The two vans were used to carry seven people who monitored the departure of the illegal immigrants.
He said the police had also confiscated the boat that carried 47 illegal immigrants that capsized in the sea on its way to Australia on Saturday.
"The boat is still in the sea as it is quite big and cannot as yet be taken ashore," he said.
A total of 96 illegal immigrants have been arrested five of them now undergoing treatment at Tasikmalaya general hospital due to their health problems after floating in the sea when their boat capsized.
Based on initial investigation the illegal immigrants left Jakarta for Cipatujah by bus and then embarked on a boat that would carry them to Australia.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
