Suspect Sent Workers to Middle East

Farouk Arnaz

A man accused of illegally sending migrant workers abroad has reportedly told police that he sent at least 30 women to countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Ihdam Abu Bakar has been named a suspect for a scheme the police say he had run since 2008.

“Based on his confession, there are 30 victims, mostly women from West Java, who he sent to Egypt, Tunisia and Syria,” National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said on Wednesday. “Investigators from the criminal unit have officially detained him.”

Ihdam allegedly got around regulations on sending workers abroad by forging documents and changing the ages of workers who were not yet 18. “The identities of the migrant workers do not match the actual data,” Boy said. “The suspect actively recruited [potential workers]. We are still investigating the total number of victims.”

Earlier reports said Ihdam had been running this scheme for years through his travel company, Bani Golden Tour.

Police learned on Monday that the suspect was believed to be housing some women at the Mall of Indonesia Apartments, in North Jakarta. They raided the location and found five women, including one who was under age.