ID :
67587
Thu, 06/25/2009 - 09:57
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/67587
The shortlink copeid
W LOMBOK POLICE DETAIN 21 ILLEGAL AFGHAN IMMIGRANTS
Mataram, June 24 (ANTARA) - Police in West Lombok are examining 21 illegal immigrants from Afghanistan who intended to travel to Austrlia by boat.
The head of the police resort in West Lombok, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Agus Supriyanto, said here on Wednesday the foreigners were being interrogated because they did not carry the required documents.
"They did not have documents like passports or visas, carrying only letters declaring their status as immigrants issued by the UNHCR," he said.
Supriyanto said the interrogation was aimed at establishing their motive for trying to reach Australia through Rote Island in East Nusa Tenggara.
The illegal immigrants arrived from Jakarta on Tuesday and spent a night at Puri Lingsar motel in West Lombok. They planned to travel by land to Sumbawa and then Bima and later to Flores before going to Rote.
"According to information they would leave for Pulau Pasir (Ashmoore Reef) around 114 kilometers from Rote before going to Australia to seek asylum," he said.
The 21 Afghans are now still undergoing questioning at the West Lombok police office.
He said the police were now also questioning two residents of West Nusa Tenggara, Marzuki and Suyatman, for having allegedly facilitated the Afghans' travel in Indonesia.
If the allegation proved correct, they would be charged based on Article 54 of Law Number 9 of 1992 on Immigration that carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of Rp25 million.
The head of the immigration enforcement and supervision offfice in Mataram, Muhammad Adnan, said the immigrants from Afghanistan were foreign refugees who had so far been accomodated in Jakarta.
They came to Jakarta to seek political asylum following internal conflict and chaos in their country in 2000.
"While in Jakarta they stayed at a place supervised by the UNHCR and therefore they would be returned to Jakarta by UNHCR officials," he said.
Adnan admitted he had already coordinated with UNHCR officials for their return to Jakarta. "We (the immigration office) and UNHCR have coordinated and are just waiting for the conclusion of police investigation before sending them back to Jakarta," he said.
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The head of the police resort in West Lombok, Adjunct Senior Commissioner Agus Supriyanto, said here on Wednesday the foreigners were being interrogated because they did not carry the required documents.
"They did not have documents like passports or visas, carrying only letters declaring their status as immigrants issued by the UNHCR," he said.
Supriyanto said the interrogation was aimed at establishing their motive for trying to reach Australia through Rote Island in East Nusa Tenggara.
The illegal immigrants arrived from Jakarta on Tuesday and spent a night at Puri Lingsar motel in West Lombok. They planned to travel by land to Sumbawa and then Bima and later to Flores before going to Rote.
"According to information they would leave for Pulau Pasir (Ashmoore Reef) around 114 kilometers from Rote before going to Australia to seek asylum," he said.
The 21 Afghans are now still undergoing questioning at the West Lombok police office.
He said the police were now also questioning two residents of West Nusa Tenggara, Marzuki and Suyatman, for having allegedly facilitated the Afghans' travel in Indonesia.
If the allegation proved correct, they would be charged based on Article 54 of Law Number 9 of 1992 on Immigration that carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of Rp25 million.
The head of the immigration enforcement and supervision offfice in Mataram, Muhammad Adnan, said the immigrants from Afghanistan were foreign refugees who had so far been accomodated in Jakarta.
They came to Jakarta to seek political asylum following internal conflict and chaos in their country in 2000.
"While in Jakarta they stayed at a place supervised by the UNHCR and therefore they would be returned to Jakarta by UNHCR officials," he said.
Adnan admitted he had already coordinated with UNHCR officials for their return to Jakarta. "We (the immigration office) and UNHCR have coordinated and are just waiting for the conclusion of police investigation before sending them back to Jakarta," he said.
***5***
