PEOPLE SMUGGLING KINGPIN DETAINED IN INDONESIA

By Neville D'Cruz

MELBOURNE, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- A leading people smuggler has been discovered
travelling with Tamils stranded in Indonesia and pressuring the government to
enter Australia.

Abraham Lauhenapessy, known as Captain Bram, is said to have been paid by
the 254 Tamils on board the vessel to bring them to Christmas Island, The Age
newspaper reported.

He is described as "a pivotal organiser of Indonesia's people-smuggling
operations since 1999" and is said to have brought 1,500 asylum seekers to
Australia illegally.

Lauhenapessy is reported to have duped the Tamils, who paid a total of US$4
million to be taken to Australia's Christmas Island, apparently because he
wanted to avoid arrest in Australian territory where he would have faced up to
20 years in jail.

A spokesman for the 254 Tamils, Alex, said Lauhenapessy missed a rendezvous
with a smaller boat and turned back to Indonesia five hours short of Christmas
Island.

"It was in the night and we were sleeping and we didn't know what was
happening," Alex told the newspaper from the boat.

"There was a mix-up in the location for him to get off (so he could avoid
arrest).

"If Bram had not turned the boat around, we would have been at Christmas
Island in five hours. We are very upset this happened."

The boat was intercepted by an Indonesian navy vessel on Oct 11.

Lauhenapessy is now detained on a naval ship moored next to the boat, local
police have confirmed.

News of Lauhenapessy's presence comes as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd leaves
for Jakarta on Monday for talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono to find a solution to the recent rise in people-smuggling cases.
--BERNAMA