Jakarta. Indonesian immigration authorities have dismantled an international people-smuggling syndicate that used Indonesia as an illegal transit route to send Chinese nationals to Australia, officials said on Tuesday.

The West Jakarta Immigration Office arrested three foreign nationals suspected of acting as facilitators in the operation: two Chinese citizens identified by the initials SS, 37, and XS, 39, and a Thai national, PK, 27. Investigators believe the group coordinated clandestine journeys through eastern Indonesia, exploiting weak border controls in Papua.

Pamuji Raharja, head of the Jakarta regional office of the Law and Human Rights Ministry, said the syndicate relied on remote maritime routes — often referred to locally as “rat lines” — to move migrants out of the country undetected.

“Based on XS’s statement, the foreign nationals traveled independently from China to Jakarta,” Pamuji told reporters. “Upon arrival in Jakarta, they were flown to Merauke, Papua, accompanied by an individual known as A or C. From Merauke, they were taken to Australia aboard a vessel owned by A or C.”

Authorities said XS played a central role as a logistics coordinator and escort. During questioning, XS admitted to successfully sending at least five Chinese nationals to Australia, charging each person 60,000 yuan — roughly Rp 130 million ($7,663). XS claimed to have earned a personal profit of 8,000 yuan, or about Rp 17 million, per migrant.

Investigators also uncovered a document forgery operation linked to the smuggling scheme. SS was found to be using a fraudulent Indonesian electronic identity card (e-KTP) under the name Gunawan Santoso. The fake ID was allegedly obtained with the help of an Indonesian citizen identified as LS, at a cost of Rp 90 million.

PK, the Thai suspect, was accused of assisting SS by editing passport photos used to produce the counterfeit identity card. Officials said the forged documents were then used to rent accommodations in Jakarta and to promote smuggling services to other Chinese nationals seeking to reach Australia.

Immigration officials have imposed administrative sanctions on the three suspects, including deportation and permanent entry bans. They also face criminal charges under Articles 120(a) and 122(a) of Indonesia’s 2011 Immigration Law, which carry penalties related to human smuggling offenses.

The West Jakarta Immigration Office is now coordinating with the National Police and the Civil Registry Agency to investigate the alleged involvement of LS and to determine whether a broader network of Indonesian collaborators was involved in producing fraudulent identity documents.

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