Jakarta. The Indonesian government has issued a stern warning to its citizens against accepting job offers in Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand, citing a growing number of human trafficking cases and forced labor under criminal syndicates.

Abdul Kadir Karding, the Minister for Migrant Worker Protection, urged job seekers to exercise extreme caution, especially when encountering employment offers circulating on social media. He said Indonesia does not have official migrant worker placement agreements with any of the three countries.

“If you receive job offers from those nations, please be very cautious -- there have been many cases of human trafficking,” Abdul said. “We need stronger public awareness to prevent more people from falling victim to these syndicates.”

His remarks followed reports of the deaths of two Indonesian citizens -- Ihwan Sahab from Bekasi and Rizal Sampurna from Banyuwangi -- who were allegedly employed illegally in Cambodia.

Neither Ihwan nor Rizal appeared in the government’s official database of registered migrant workers, indicating they may have entered the country and secured employment through unregulated channels.

A government investigation revealed that Rizal entered Cambodia by sea in October last year. On March 13, he contacted his family in Banyuwangi, saying he had been forced to work as an online scammer and shared a photo showing both his hands cuffed.

On April 6, a colleague informed Rizal’s family of his death, but no documentation or photographic evidence was provided. “We are coordinating with the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh to arrange the repatriation of Rizal’s body,” Abdul said.

Meanwhile, Ihwan reportedly suffered an accident and was hospitalized in Cambodia on April 5. He died nine days later due to head trauma and internal bleeding, according to medical records cited by the embassy. His body was buried in Cambodia with his family’s consent.

The embassy said it has been unable to identify the employers of either Ihwan or Rizal, complicating efforts to pursue accountability.

Last month, the Indonesian government, with the support of Chinese and Thai authorities, evacuated more than 550 citizens trapped in Myanmar after falling prey to a transnational scam network. Many were deceived by promises of high-paying jobs in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, only to be trafficked into forced labor for online scam operations under virtual slavery conditions.

These people were among over 7,000 victims of various nationalities rescued in joint operations involving China, Thailand, and local militia groups. Many had been held in the border town of Myawaddy, Myanmar, and coerced into running online investment frauds, romance scams, and illegal gambling schemes.

According to official data, more than 4,700 Indonesian citizens were rescued from international cybercrime syndicates operating in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam between 2020 and 2023.

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