TEMPO.CO, Makassar - Adj. Sr. Comr. Aidin Makadomo, Law Enforcement Sub-directorate chief, South Sulawesi Water Police Directorate, said police have yet to name a suspect in the alleged trafficking of 32 labours from South Sulawesi. Four men who had been arrested had only been named as witnesses.

The four men were still being questioned extensively, namely Agus Setiawa, 18 year-old; Basir, 34; Edi, 30; and second driver Rahmat, 18. “We found that the four men were only tasked with taking them to Kalimantan by car,” Aidin said.

Police thwarted attempted trafficking of 32 labours to Malaysia on July 26. They were arrested when boarding a ferry in Garongkong Port, Barru District.

Police seized three cars and Ringgit in cash during the operation. According to Aidin, the labours had no official documents such as passports and certificate from labour supplier.

Aidin said that the labour were hailed from several districts in South Sulawesi, namely Bulukumba, Bantaeng, Gowa and Soppeng. According to him, they were gathered and picked up by cars with West Kalimantan license plates.

They planned to take the labours to Malaysia to work as domestic workers and labours in palm oil plantations.

According to Aidin, police had been investigating the case in the past month. He said they received reports that Grongkong Port had often been used to send illegal labours to Malaysia.

ABDUL RAHMAN