Disclaimer: This article is an editorial that highlights the problems in Indonesia today

PIKIRAN RAKYAT - The Indonesian Republic Police (Polri) has successfully uncovered a criminal case of human trafficking with the exploitation mode of being a prostitution worker in Australia. The Director of General Crimes of the Indonesian Republic Police (Polri), Brigpol Djuhandhani Rahardjo Puro, revealed that this criminal case involved Indonesian citizens who were sexually exploited in Australia.

“The disclosure of criminal acts of human trafficking uses the method of bringing Indonesian citizens (WNI) abroad, namely to Australia, to be sexually exploited,” he stated, as reported on Tuesday, July 23 2024.

Djunhandani said the disclosure of this case was the result of cooperation between the National Police and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) called "Operation Mirani". In the case, he said, investigators revealed two suspects, namely FLA and SS alias Batman.

FLA acted as a recruiter of victims by preparing visas and tickets for the victims' departure to Sydney, Australia. He said, the element of human trafficking criminal act found in this case was that FLA recruited and dispatched the victims in a non-procedural manner, namely using fake documents to arrange visas, so that the victims were sexually exploited.

Meanwhile, SS alias Batman acted as a coordinator in several prostitution places in Sydney. "The suspect Batman picks up, accommodates, and employs the victims in several prostitution places in Sydney, and benefits from the victims," he said.

The disclosure of this case originated from information from AFP on September 6 2023 about the alleged human trafficking criminal act involving Indonesian citizens with the mode of becoming commercial sex workers in Sydney. That information then became an investigation material for the Indonesian Republic Police (Polri) investigators until they successfully arrested FLA on March 18 2024.

“According to the suspect’s confession, this network have done the activity since 2019, there are approximately 50 Indonesian citizens recruited, departed, and employed as a commercial sex worker in Australia, and the suspect made a profit of around IDR 500 million,” Djunhandani explained.

The information was then forwarded to the AFP and became additional supporting evidence for the AFP to carry out legal proceedings against the suspect SS alias Batman. Finally, Batman was arrested on July 10 2024, and is now being detained by the Australian police.

One of the evidence obtained was 28 passports belonging to Indonesian citizens which are currently being investigated whether the passports belonged to victims or not. The suspect is charged with Article 4 of the Indonesian Republic Law No. 21/2007 on the Eradication of human trafficking criminal act with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of IDR 600 million.

The Director of General Crimes of the Indonesian Republic Police (Polri) will continue their collaboration with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Indonesian Republic Police International Relations Division, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for further investigation.

“This collaboration is to investigate other suspects and help identify victim's that has been dispatched by this network,” Djunhandani uttered.***(Politeknik Negeri Bandung/Yeurley Arba Nabila)