TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Police repatriated 34 Indonesian citizens who were victims of human trafficking from Poipet, Cambodia, on Monday, December 12, 2022.

Head of the International Relations Division of the National Police, Inspector General Krishna Murti, disclosed that the repatriation was carried out in coordination with the Police's Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) secretary Brigadier General Amur Chandra after communication with the Indonesian Embassy for Cambodia.

In a written statement released today, December 16, Krishna said the 34 citizens departed from Poipet for Phnom Penh on Monday morning, December 12. “They were transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs office in Phnom Penh for further purposes,” he said.

On Tuesday, December 13, coordination was made with the Defense Attache of the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh Col. M. Rizal in preparation for the examination of the victims who hail from North Sulawesi Province.

The Interpol NCB secretary then made a courtesy call to the Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia, Sudirman Haseng, to discuss the MoU between the National Police and the Cambodian Police regarding human trafficking cases which were often reported by Indonesian citizens in Cambodia.

“This problem is like an iceberg that must be resolved both upstream and downstream,” said Krishna.

The 34 Indonesian citizens who have been repatriated come from different regions, namely Manado (5 people), Tomohon (22 people), Minahasa (6 people), and Palembang (1 person). All of them were in good health during the repatriation process.

HAMDAN CHOLIFUDIN ISMAIL

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