Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesian authorities have dismantled a human trafficking syndicate that exploited women by arranging mail-order marriages with foreign men, primarily from China. The suspects reportedly earned hundreds of millions of rupiah by trafficking Indonesian women to marry foreign nationals.
At a press conference in Jakarta on Friday, Jakarta Police Director of General Crime Investigations, Commissioner Wira Satya Triputra, said the case was uncovered following information about safehouses holding victims in the Pejaten and Cengkareng areas.
“From operations at two locations, we rescued four Indonesian female victims, one of whom is underage. These victims came from West Java and West Kalimantan,” Wira stated as reported by CNN Indonesia.
Wira stated that after conducting operations at the two locations, investigators expanded the case and arrested nine suspects, each with distinct roles in the trafficking network.
MW, also known as M (28), is an Indonesian national based in China who facilitated the operation. BHS, also known as B (34), and NH (60) were responsible for falsifying the victims’ identities.
The remaining suspects—LA (31), Y alias I (44), AS (31), RW (34), H alias CE (36), and N alias A (56)—acted as sponsors, tasked with recruiting and housing prospective brides in Indonesia.
“We found that two suspects acted as sponsors, five as recruiters and safehouse managers, and two others were responsible for altering victims’ identities,” Wira explained.
Mail-Order Bride Scheme
In carrying out their actions, the perpetrators tricked victims into signing binding agreements written in foreign languages they did not understand, effectively coercing them into arranged marriages with foreign men. Some victims, despite being underage, had their ages falsified to appear as legal adults.
After arranging for Indonesian women to marry Chinese nationals, the suspects profited from their illicit operation. “The syndicate profited between Rp35 million and Rp150 million (approximately $2,200 to $9,500) per victim,” Wira added.
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Authorities seized key evidence, including passports, identification cards, mobile phones, marriage photos, and certificates stating the victims were single.
Meanwhile, Sub-Directorate Head Renakta, Commissioner Syarifah, revealed that several Indonesian women had already been sent to China by the syndicate. However, police are still gathering data and conducting further investigations.
“There are reports of victims already in China, but we are still collecting concrete data as the suspects have been uncooperative,” she said.
The nine suspects are now being held at the Metro Jaya Police detention center. They have been charged under Articles 4 and/or 6 in conjunction with Article 10 of Indonesia’s Law No. 21 of 2007 on Human Trafficking, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years.
(Raidi/Agung)
