TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - South Jakarta immigration officials on Thursday evening arrested 10 foreign nationals at Kalibata City apartment in South Jakarta.

"They have been the targets of immigration operation for a long time,” said Head of South Jakarta Immigration Office Cucu Koswala.

Cucu also said that those ten foreign nationals include two Nigerian citizens, 6 Ivory Coast citizens, one Guinean, and one Congo citizens.

"They were arrested in their respective apartments,” he said, adding that one foreign national tried to escape but the officials could arrest him,” he said.

Cucu also said that they told the police that they are football players and have passports. However, when the officials checked their documents, it turned out that their tourist visas have expired.

If found guilty, Cucu said that they will be deported and cannot return to Indonesia.

"And if we can find two evidence of a crime, they can also be charged with crimes,” he said.

Those foreign nationals are charged with Article 122-a of Law Number 6 of 2011 on Immigration and if they are proven to violate the law, they are facing 5 years in prison or a fine of Rp500 millions.

MAYA NAWANGWULAN