Chinese National Suspected of Human Smuggling Arrested by Immigration

Jun 6, 2025

JAKARTA – A citizen of the People's Republic of China (RRT) with the initials HJ, suspected of being a human smuggler from Indonesia to Australia, was apprehended by the Class I Special Immigration Office of TPI Ngurah Rai on Thursday, April 8, 2025. The man, known to reside in Dili, Timor Leste, was found in Bali based on a check of his immigration crossing data and visa status. HJ was handed over to investigators from the East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police (Polda NTT) for legal processing on Wednesday (June 4, 2025).

"HJ's arrest originated from an intelligence report from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on March 13, 2025, stating that in February 2025, Australian Border Force (ABF) authorities found 10 RRT citizens without immigration permits who had landed illegally near Cape Don, North Australia. They were suspected of arriving on a fishing boat that departed from Saumlaki, Tanimbar Islands, Maluku," explained the Acting Director General of Immigration, Yuldi Yusman.

HJ is strongly suspected of being a facilitator in the departure of these 10 Chinese nationals. He is said to be connected to the illegal immigrants through the social media platform TikTok. "After receiving the report from the Australian Government on March 27, 2025, the Directorate General of Immigration conducted a preliminary investigation into the alleged immigration crime committed by HJ. We then placed him on the prevention list," Yuldi continued.

On April 8, 2025, the Intelligence and Immigration Enforcement Team (Inteldakim) of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office successfully apprehended HJ when he was about to depart for Dili. The following day, HJ was transferred to the Immigration Detention Room of the Directorate General of Immigration in Jakarta for further examination.

Subsequently, on April 28, 2025, a joint investigation was conducted between the Directorate General of Immigration, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), and the East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police (Polda NTT). From the results of the investigation, it was known that HJ collaborated with several Indonesian citizens with the initials PT, A, and E, as well as a Chinese national with the initials ZR.

Regarding the arrest of the suspected human smuggler, the Minister of Immigration and Corrections, Agus Andrianto, stated, "The Ministry of Imipas (Immigration and Corrections) continues to be committed to supporting law enforcement in eradicating cross-border crimes, especially those related to human smuggling, which pose a threat to state sovereignty and security," he said.

Last updated 06 June 2025