TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian national police criminal unit (Bareskrim) arrested an Iraq national, Ismael Ibrahim Khaleel, with a human trafficking charge. The authorities caught him on Thursday, March 25.

The police chief of general crime department Brig. Gen. Andi Rian Djajadi said that Ismael offered his prospective victims jobs.

"Ismael did not work alone. He worked with Lies Herlinawati, an Indonesian citizen," Andi sain in a written statement on Thursday, March 25.

Andi explained that the Iraq citizen worked as a person who prepares tickets to Turkey for the victims. He also provided them a temporary accomodation before they depart. "As well as communicating with the agents abroad and escort them [the victims] to Soekarno-Hatta Airport,” the police said.

Meanwhile, Lies' job was doing communication with the sponsors, which are Andi and Isma, who are now fugitives. Lies also received money from foreign agents and shared the fee to Andi and Isma.

The authorities are currently grilling Ismael and Lies to further investigate if other parties were possibly involved. Both of them will be detained at the police Bareskrim jail.

“And for Ismael, we'll also work with the Iraq Embassy," Andi said.

Both suspects are charged with human trafficking laws and facing a maximum of 15-year imprisonment and/or a fine of maximum Rp600 million.

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ANDITA RAHMA