JAKARTA - Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police said on May 27 that they had submitted a Red Notice request to Interpol against a fugitive identified as LA, who is suspected of recruiting prospective Indonesian migrant workers for jobs in Cambodia through an irregular placement network. 

Police identified LA as a woman from Bangka Belitung. The Indonesian National Police said she fled abroad after officers placed her on the wanted list. Investigators are still probing the network accused of sending prospective migrant workers to Cambodia for online gambling-related jobs, according to the police statement.

The case began after officers received information about two women preparing to leave through Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on January 17. Police identified them as AG from Garut and SP from North Jakarta. They planned to travel from Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur on a TransNusa flight, then use Cambodia Airways tickets to Phnom Penh.

“We have submitted this Red Notice for follow-up with Interpol,” Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police Chief Senior Commissioner Wisnu Wardana said on May 27, as quoted by Indonesia’s state-owned agency Antara. 

Investigators said the two women told police they had been promised jobs as online gambling administrators in Cambodia with salaries of up to Rp10 million per month and no travel costs. Police also questioned a man identified as RR, who allegedly helped arrange tickets, guided the departure process and connected the women with people assisting check-in and immigration clearance.

The suspects face charges under Article 83 in conjunction with Article 68 and/or Article 81 in conjunction with Article 69 of Law Number 18 of 2017 on the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers. Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police Criminal Investigation Unit Yandri Mono said the alleged offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp15 billion.

From January to May, Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police said they thwarted 89 attempted departures by prospective migrant workers headed to those three Southeast Asian countries through irregular channels.