Tangerang, Banten (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan confirmed that 554 Indonesians have been rescued from online scam syndicates in Myawaddy, Myanmar.
"The 554 Indonesians comprised 449 males and 105 females. They were the victims of mass-scale online scam syndicates in the Myawaddy region close to the Myanmar-Thailand border," he stated during a press conference at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport following the arrival of 400 out of 554 Indonesians on Tuesday.
Minister Gunawan remarked that the rescued Indonesians, who mostly originated from North Sumatra, Bangka Belitung, West Java, Jakarta, and North Sulawesi, crossed the Myanmar border to Maesot City in Thailand on Monday (March 17).
The rescued Indonesians were exposed to physical and mental torture during their time in Myanmar. "Some of the victims were even threatened to have their organs harvested if they did not reach the target," he stated.
The coordinating minister noted that the stealth rescue operation was successful due to intensive coordination between Indonesian and Thai authorities, which ensured the prompt retrieval of the Indonesians from Myanmar.
After their crossing to Maesot in Thailand, the rescued Indonesians underwent health checks and the National Referral Mechanism to identify human trafficking and modern slavery victims.
Following the completion of the procedures, they departed for Bangkok by land for nine hours for their return flight to Jakarta from Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport, Gunawan added.
In response to the rescue, the government will conduct an investigation, pursuing victims' testimonies, to apprehend the suspects involved in the online scam syndicates.
"The assessment result will help the police determine the follow-up actions," he noted.
After arriving in Jakarta, the rescued Indonesians will be temporarily accommodated at the Hajj Dormitory in East Jakarta for medical treatment.
"They will get logistics aid and health treatment before we return them to their hometowns. We will also determine whether they are all victims or some of them have indications as suspects in this crime," he remarked.
In a separate statement, the Foreign Ministry confirmed that after the repatriation of the 400 Indonesians on Tuesday, the rest of the 154 Indonesians are expected to return home on Wednesday (March 19) after their arrival to Thailand on Tuesday.
