Those illegal immigrants got into Bali by a traditional wooden boat without necessary travel documents.Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - The Bali police have arrested 80 illegal immigrants from Middle Eastern countries in Badung Strait about a mile from the Benoa Port in Denpasar.
"Around 05.00 a.m. local time our patrol officers saw a suspicious boat, so they stopped it and checked the passengers one by one," Bali provincial police spokesman Comr. Hariadi said here on Sunday.
According to him, those illegal immigrants got into Bali by a traditional wooden boat without necessary travel documents.
Hariadi said the Bali police are currently identifying the origin of the illegal immigrants, but none of them has testified.
"On the boat, there were two crew members, but they could not show any documents and none of them could provide information needed. That`s the main obstacle in handling this case," he explained.
Besides, he said, not all of the illegal immigrants understand English, making it difficult for the police and immigration officers to identify them.
"Until now, we do not know where they are from and where they want to go. So far, according to the information we have received, those illegal immigrants consisting of men, women, and a number of children come from Turkey, Syria, and Iran," he noted.
Hariadi believed that the illegal immigrants intended to seek asylum in Australia which has often become the destination of asylum seekers, especially those from Middle Eastern countries and some conflict-affected countries.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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