RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Human trafficking is a threat to Indonesian migrant workers. The promise of high-paying jobs abroad has led to another victim. At least 105 Indonesian migrant workers are suspected of being sent by a human trafficking network to Libya, where they experienced exploitation.

Jakarta Metropolitan Police's General Criminal Investigation Directorate has uncovered the alleged human trafficking case and named two suspects, identified as R and DY.

"The suspects' network is suspected of sending at least 105 prospective Indonesian migrant workers abroad between 2023 and 2026," Director of General Criminal Investigation at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, Senior Commissioner Iman Imanuddin, said at a press conference in Jakarta on Friday, July 24, 2026. quoted by Antara.

The case began with a police report dated July 3, 2026. The investigation revealed that the victims were recruited with the promise of work as domestic workers in Turkey, earning around IDR 7 million per month. The suspects also offered the victims pocket money or a fee of IDR 2.5 million to IDR 3 million to convince them.

After documents were processed, the victims were not sent to Turkey as promised. Instead, they were sent to Libya via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

In Libya, victims faced severe exploitation, including denied wages, passport confiscation, restricted freedom, and physical/psychological violence.

A number of victims reportedly managed to escape and sought protection from the Indonesian Embassy in Tripoli so they could be repatriated to Indonesia. As a result of this action, the material losses suffered by the victims due to unpaid wages are estimated at IDR 60 million, not including the psychological trauma they experienced.

During the investigation, police confiscated several pieces of evidence, including the victims' passports, medical examination documents, airline tickets, boarding passes, and a letter from the Ministry of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI).

For their actions, the two suspects were charged under Article 455 of Law Number 1/2023 concerning the Criminal Code and Article 4 in conjunction with Article 10 of Law No. 21/2007 concerning the Eradication of the Crime of Human Trafficking, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. ***