JAKARTA -  The Riau Island Regional Police will establish a dedicated human trafficking directorate this year, police chief Irjen Asep Safrudin announced, as authorities scramble to address what's become one of the region's worst criminal problems.

The move comes as Indonesia continues grappling with trafficking numbers that have crept upward in recent years. In 2023, police nationwide recorded 1,062 cases—part of a steady climb driven largely by online recruitment scams. 

Riau island’s location near Malaysia and Singapore makes it particularly vulnerable as it sits at a crossroads where traffickers can easily move victims across borders.

Safrudin told coordinators at the Batam Tourism Polytechnic that the police have already helped more than 2,000 migrant workers who got caught up in illegal schemes. "Through structural strengthening and cross-sector collaboration, we hope to maximize protection for Indonesian migrant workers and reduce exploitative practices," he said.

Most victims fall for promises of legitimate overseas work, only to wind up trapped in debt bondage or worse. National data from 2019 to 2023 shows women and children account for 97% of trafficking cases.

National police ordered 11 regions to set up similar directorates after recording roughly 40,000 exploitation cases in 2024. Kepri placed 1,885 migrant workers this year, with 1,414 heading to Singapore. The new directorate is expected to begin operations by mid-2026.

The Indonesian government is warning citizens to be careful with overseas job offers that aren’t verified and to use only official channels to protect themselves from scams and trafficking.

Jakarta is also calling on other countries to share intelligence in real time and work together to stop the flow of money from online scams, which Vice Foreign Minister Arrmanatha C. Nasir says have affected more than 12,000 Indonesians and caused losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars.