Police in Bengkalis regency, Riau, have detained a married couple suspected of facilitating human trafficking and immigration violations, authorities said on Wednesday, Feb. 11. The arrest, which follows a series of recent crackdowns on illegal migrant‑worker networks, underscores the province’s intensified effort to curb cross‑border smuggling.
First Assistant Inspector Juliandi Barzah, spokesperson for the Bengkalis police, confirmed that the two suspects were taken from a house on Jl. Hasanah in the village of Senggoro after a tip‑off about an illegal shelter for Indonesian migrant workers. The couple—identified only as “J,” a 62‑year‑old man, and his 39‑year‑old wife “S”—were accused of receiving five workers who had arrived from Malaysia by speed boat and escorting them to the shelter using a black Toyota Fortuner.
Details of the operation
According to the police report, the five migrants were brought ashore at an unregistered port, then transferred to the Senggoro house where they rested for several hours before authorities intervened. Investigators seized a range of items they said were used in the scheme, including two mobile phones, the speed boat, the black Fortuner and a silver Mitsubishi Rush.
Both suspects have been charged under Article 2 in conjunction with Article 10 of the 2007 Human Trafficking Eradication Law, Article 120 of the 2011 Immigration Law, and Article 457 of the Criminal Code.
“We are calling on the public not to get involved in the sending of illegal migrant workers because it is highly risky and violates the law,” Juliandi said.
Earlier raids highlight a broader network
The couple’s arrest came just a week after police dismantled a separate trafficking cell in Sepahat village, Bandar Laksmana district. Detectives from the Bengkalis Crime Investigation (Reskrim) Unit raided a house on Jl. Intan Baiduri at about 3 a.m. On Feb. 2, after receiving a report via the 110 emergency line and a private WhatsApp message to police chief Adj. Senior Commissioner Fahrian Saleh Siregar.
That operation resulted in the detention of 12 individuals, including four identified suspects—Z, MR, SS and C—who were alleged to coordinate sea‑borne departures to Malaysia. The remaining eight, among them a Rohingya refugee from Myanmar, were victims slated to travel without proper documentation. Police also confiscated eight phones and a passport used to arrange the smuggling.
“We will enforce strict sanctions as deterrence and as proof of Bengkalis Police’s commitment to eradicating human‑trafficking syndicates, which often use coastal areas to traffic people,” Fahrian said.
Impact on the migrant workers
The five workers rescued in the Senggoro raid were transferred to the Dumai city Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Service Center (P4MI) for processing and eventual repatriation. They will join a group of 180 deported migrants who arrived at Dumai Port on Feb. 7 aboard the prompt ferry Indomal Dynasty.
Fanny Wahyu Kurniawan, a spokesperson for the Riau Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Service Agency (BP3MI), noted that many Indonesians continue to be lured by seemingly lucrative jobs in Malaysia. “The deported migrant workers were from various provinces, such as East Java, Aceh, West Nusa Tenggara, North Sumatra, Central Java, Riau, South Kalimantan and South Sulawesi,” she said.
At the P4MI shelter, the migrants receive medical care, phone registration, identity verification and protection whereas awaiting return to their hometowns. Officials also provide information on the risks of working abroad without proper documentation, emphasizing that legal channels are essential to prevent future trafficking cases.
Legal context and next steps
The charges filed against J and S reflect Indonesia’s robust legal framework against human trafficking. Article 2 of the 2007 law defines trafficking as the recruitment, transport, or harboring of persons for exploitation, while Article 10 criminalizes the facilitation of such acts. Article 120 of the 2011 Immigration Law penalizes illegal entry or stay, and Article 457 of the Criminal Code addresses organized crime.
Both suspects remain in police custody at the Bengkalis district police station while the investigation continues. Authorities have urged the public to report any suspicious activity through the 110 emergency hotline to aid ongoing efforts against illegal migrant‑worker networks.
Police have not announced a court date for the suspects, but the investigation is expected to proceed to the prosecutor’s office for formal charging. Updates will be posted by the Bengkalis police as the case moves forward.
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Sources: The Jakarta Post; Suara.com
