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Indonesian Police arrested nine officers from the Royal Brunei Police on March 6 for trespassing in the country while trying to capture a suspect, a National Police source said on Thursday.

“The case is being handled by the West Kalimantan Police, but we got all the reports since it is a sovereignty issue. They didn’t have any permits to act as police [in Indonesia] even though they did not bring their weapons. It’s an immigration violation,” the source told the Jakarta Globe on condition of anonymity.

The source said the group was led by an officer identified as Superintendent Khairur Rizal.

“This group rented a boat to hunt an thief in Kuantan, West Kalimantan. However, their presence sparked people’s suspicions and they filed a report with the local police,” the source said.

The source added that the group entered the country through the Entikong land border post between Indonesia and Malaysia.

Following their arrests, “they were brought to the West Kalimantan Police headquarters and will most likely be transferred back to their country with a warning and a protest note to not do it again,” the source said.

Adj. Comr. Suhadi, the spokesman for the West Kalimantan Police, acknowledged there had been problems linked to members of the Brunei police, but said the source’s report was incorrect. “It is not true. The real story is not like that,” Suhadi said, declining further comment.

Indonesia and Brunei are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their nationals are free to cross the border without visas.

The incident came just over one week after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono paid a state visit to Brunei aimed at boosting cooperation between the countries in the agricultural sector.