Inp.polri.go.id - Batam.  Riau Islands Regional Police Chief Inspector General Asep Safrudin has urged members of the Human Trafficking Task Force to stay alert to a new cross-provincial recruitment scheme for illegal Indonesian migrant workers  operating through the province.

“The task force is fully responsible for law enforcement regardless of the victims’ origin. Any broker or recruiter sending workers illegally will be pursued to the end,” he said during the 2025 Task Force evaluation meeting in Batam on Friday (31/10/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com.

Chief Asep noted that traffickers are now using remote coordination via Telegram and sending intermediaries to transport non-procedural migrant workers using tourist passports, mainly to Malaysia.

Governor Ansar Ahmad emphasized that while the Riau Islands’ border location brings economic potential, it also exposes the province to transnational crimes such as human trafficking and drug smuggling. He called for stronger interprovincial cooperation to improve local workforce readiness.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)