TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi ensured that the 55 Indonesian citizens held captive in Cambodia by online scam companies have been rescued.

“All the 55 Indonesian citizens are in healthy condition,” said Minister Retno in an online press conference Saturday, July 30.

Meanwhile, an evacuation effort of the other five victims to a safer location was being held. Retno explained that the high-level evacuation was being held through her communication with Cambodia Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn, who responded to the report immediately and coordinated with the local police.

“Alhamdulillah, the special team of Cambodian Police has succeeded to rescue the Indonesian citizens and bringing 55 people to a safe location, while the other five people are still in the [evacuation] process,” said Retno.

The Cambodian police will further investigate the case after the evacuation process. The Indonesian citizens will be moved from Sihanoukville and handed to the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Phnom Penh.

“The KBRI team is already in Sihanoukville to assist the evacuation,” said Retno.

The KBRI staff will then conduct an interview based on the screening form of indications of victims of human trafficking before repatriating dozens of the citizens to Indonesia.

Foreign Affairs Minister asserted that cooperation with the Cambodian government and authorities will continue to prevent the recurrence of similar cases.

Antara

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News