TEMPO.CO, Solo - Surakarta (Solo) Class I Immigration Office arrested 22 Chinese nationals on Tuesday, May 23, as they failed to present travel documents.

Another foreigner from Taiwan was also apprehended after officers inspected the rental house of Wisma Rania in Paulan Village, Colomadu District, Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, on Tuesday.

Head of the Immigration Unit of the Central Java Regional Office of the Law and Human Rights Ministry, Wishnu Daru Fajar, explained that the inspection was launched following public reports about foreigners who violated public order.

“We received the complaint on Tuesday at around 4 pm, then we responded quickly and the Surakarta Immigration followed it up,” Wishnu said during a press conference at the Surakarta Class I Immigration Office on Thursday, May 25.

Wishnu revealed that when officers visited the location, the foreigners carried out normal activities but could not show official documents

It is suspected that they violate Article 71 (2) of Law No. 6/2011 concerning Immigration, in which the maximum penalty is 3 months imprisonment or a maximum fine of Rp25 million. Based on these findings, Surakarta Immigration Office escorted them to the immigration detention room.

He explained that investigations are still ongoing as of Thursday. He said the absence of immigration documents made it difficult to obtain data on their identities.

The Surakarta Immigration Office is also coordinating and communicating with the embassies of the two countries, China and Taiwan. “We surely communicate with their embassies because these [23 foreigners] are their citizens. We will also continue to find their identities,” Wishnu said.

SEPTIA RYANTHIE

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