Inp.polri.go.id - Batam. The Riau Islands Regional Police have named three suspects in a human trafficking case following the sinking of a boat carrying Indonesian migrant workers bound for Malaysia in late November near Batam, resulting in one fatality and six survivors.

“Based on the investigation, we have identified three suspects who coordinated the illegal departure of the victims to Malaysia,” said Superintendent Andyka Aer, the Riau Islands Police Criminal Investigation Directorate’s Head of Sub-Directorate IV, on Saturday (20/12/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com.

The suspects, identified as I, R, and D, were involved in recruiting six Indonesian migrant workers from East Nusa Tenggara and dispatching them via a small fiber boat. The vessel capsized after engine failure and was struck twice by a larger ship. Survivors were rescued by a cruise ship and handed to Malaysian authorities, while the deceased was recovered later by local patrols.

Investigators found the victims paid Rp5 to 7 million each to suspect D, who directed the operation. Authorities continue probing the trafficking network, which has a history of illegal Indonesian migrant workers departures.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)