TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bambang Widjojanto, the deputy chairman at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that migrant worker extortionists reaped Rp325 billion (US$27.1 million) a year from around 360,000 workers at Soekarno-Hatta airport.
According to Bambang, they had forced migrant workers to exchange foreign currencies with low rates, imposed expensive transportation and quoted money to release their goods from airplanes.
“If they charged Rp2.5 million (US$208) per person, they could enjoy hundreds of billions a year,” Bambang told Tempo on Saturday, July 26, 2014.
Earlier, the KPK, along with the National Police Criminal Investigation Directorate (Bareskrim) carried out a sudden inspection at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Saturday. The team detained 18 men, including one National Police Officer and two Indonesian Army personnel, who allegedly extorted migrant workers.
The inspection was supervised by KPK Chairman Abraham Samad, KPK Deputy Chairman Pandu Praja and Zulkarnain, Bareskrim Chief Inspector General Suhardi Alius and Angkasa Pura II President Director Tri Sunoko.
According to Tri, the extortion practices had been going on for ten years, even though he had taken actions to stop them.
“The inspection will be an evaluation for us to find which spots should be monitored to eliminate extortion practices [against workers],” Tri said.
HUSSEIN ABRI YUSUF
