East Java Police Take Over Illegal Immigrant Smuggling Case

Tulungagung, East Java (ANTARA) - East Java's regional police command has taken over the investigation of witnesses in an illegal immigrant smuggling attempt in which certain military officers, civil servants and fishermen of Popoh, Tulungagung are reportedly implicated. Tulungagung district police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Agus Wijayanto confirmed the taking over of the case here on Thursday after leading a roll call held in preparation for the Christmas and New Year celebrations. "The case has been taken over by the East Java police command because it is believed to involve military personnel and civil servants," he said when asked for confirmation about it. Therefore, Agus said, newsmen should go to the regional police command public relations division if they wished to seek further confirmation or clarification about it. He said investigation documents as well as materials for evidence, the fishermen, three military personnel from the Besuki sub-district command and a civil servant from the Kendungwaru sub-district military command allegedly involved in the case had all been handed over to the regional police command. There has not been any explanation regarding the eight who are identified as key witnesses in the case of more than one hundred illegal immigrants from the Middle Eastern region whose boat capsized in e Prigi waters in Tulunggagung, East Java, last Saturday. According to a source in the East Java police command , four of them had been named suspect, namely Bambang (40), Nuri (36) who are the owner of the ill-fated boat and two crew members. The three military personnel allegedly involved in the case are known by their initials as S, K and KA. Another military personnel from Sampang military command meanwhile is now still under investigation with regard to his alleged involvement in the case. A source in the Tulungagung police resort said the one who received an order to take the immigrants to Australia was a civil servant from the Kedungwaru military command known by his initials as BS. It was BS who later prepared the boat to take the immigrants from Popoh beach. BS then asked the three military personnel to ensure the smuggling attempt operation would run smoothly. It was also BS who chose the Barokah boat belonging to Bambang for transporting the immigrants. The smuggling ring had received a "fee" of Rp29 million for its work. (*)