Inp.polri.go.id - Tangerang.  The Immigration Office at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport halted the departure of 98 undocumented Indonesian migrant workers  bound for countries experiencing conflict.

“They were reportedly heading to countries such as Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, and Malaysia,” said Johanes Fanny Satria Cahya Aprianto, the head of Soekarno-Hatta Immigration Office, on Wednesday (25/6/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com.

Authorities found that many attempted to leave by posing as tourists, using informal channels often arranged by acquaintances abroad. The group is suspected to be victims of human trafficking.

“Many were recruited to work as domestic helpers, in restaurants, or in illegal online gambling and scam operations,” said Indonesian National Police’s Women and Children Protection  and Human Trafficking Sub-directorate III Head Senior SUperintendent Amingga Primastito.

The operation aimed to prevent Indonesians from becoming victims of war or exploitation, particularly in the Middle East and Cambodia.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)