TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Police confirmed the arrest of 17 Indonesian citizens in Sebatik Island, Malaysia, on Friday, March 13, 2015. "But the we have clear the case well enough," said Inspector General Ronnie Sompie, head of Public Relations Division of the National Police Headquarters when contacted on Sunday, March 15, 2015.
Ronnie said the 17 citizens were caught because of borders violation. According to Ronnie, the group consisting of Indonesia police, military (TNI), and civilians did not went through the country by proper procedure and correct coordination with the local authority. "There are other state agencies crossing without any permission, of course it would attract attention," said Ronnie.
According to Ronnie, the case began when the police want to pick up a suspected military member related to an abuse case that occurred shortly before the arrest. Ronnie said that the Indonesian authority should pick up the suspect at the border, not from inside the country.
Ronnie has not been able to provide detailed information for the case because it was just completed last night. "The case had been resolved through coordination with East Kalimantan Police and other relevant authorities," said Ronnie.
Earlier, Malaysian police arrested the 17 indonesian citizens arrest due to entering Malaysian area without any permission, and they carried weapons. Deputy Inspector-General Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said that the group consisted of ten members of the Indonesian national police, four members of the Indonesian military, and three civilians.
"They meant no harm, but they violated the proper procedure," he said as reported by The Malay Mail Online yesterday.
According to Noor Rashid, the 17 Indonesians were intended to pick up a killer of a TNI member that occurred on March 10, at Nunukan Island.
The Wallace Bay Police resort at Sabah arrested the 17 people through two phases. The first phase, ten members of the Indonesian police in civilian clothes caught carrying guns while riding motorcycles. The second phase, seven others were arrested shortly afterwards, caught crossing the border by speedboat and carrying weapons.
ANDI RUSLI
