KPK Swoops on Soldier, Police Officers and Gangsters Over 10-Year Extortion of Migrant Workers at Soekarno-Hatta

Jakarta Globe, SP/Novianti Setuningsih & Rizky Amelia,  Jul 26, 2014

A passenger leaves Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, in Jakarta,
in this file photo. (JG Photo/Jurnasyanto Sukarno)

Tangerang. Indonesia’s anti-corruption authority arrested figures from the country’s military and police in addition to several gangsters on Friday night and Saturday morning over a decade-long scheme extorting migrant workers.

Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Abraham Samad said the 18 people detained included a soldier, two police officers and career criminals. The 18 people had extorted migrant workers over a decade, the KPK said.

Abraham said the KPK had not arrested anyone from the manpower ministry’s migrant worker agency— but that his investigators were looking into potential involvement.

“We will investigate further the involvement of other parties,” Abraham said in a press conference. “The involvement of the agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers [BNP2TKI] should not be ruled out. In time, we will find the involvement of BNP2TKI.”

The KPK led the raid with support from the National Police, the Presidential Unit for Supervision, Control and Development (UKP4), and the airport operator, Angkasa Pura II. The operation was based on existing intelligence, but the authorities acted on Friday because of the high number of travelers arriving for the Idul Fitri holiday.

“I heard from [KPK] investigators that there was a Pakistan national who was asked to pay a taxi fare of US$ 200,” said Bambang Widjojanto, KPK’s deputy chairman. “A Slovakian was asked to pay even more — $250.”

The National Police’s investigations chief Comr. Gen. Suhardi Alius said the soldier and the police officers forced the migrant workers to use specific taxis, which were set up to shake down the vulnerable passengers. Suhardi said the suspects had been stationed at Soekarno-Hatta by their police and army commands, which was how they knew the inner-workings of the airport and were, allegedly, able to run the racket over such a long period.

“This is only the beginning, we will investigate further and will reveal the network,” Suhardi said.

The suspects also ran a foreign exchange scam.

Abraham also questioned an officer at immigration, saying he had seen foreigners having to place money in their passports in order to pass through immigration.

“Why do foreign nationals passing here have to put money in their passport?” Abraham asked the officer.

The officer denied the accusation, but Abraham said he had seen money changing hands.

A KPK deputy chairman, Adnan Pandu Praja, searched the offices at the immigration checkpoint but did not find any evidence.

An investigation continues.