EH is one of the victims of the Syrian network, in the case of the criminal act of trafficking in persons (TPPO) which was just released by the Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) of the National Police on Tuesday (09/04/19). In a press conference, EH said that he had received bad treatment from the Indonesian Embassy (Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia) in Syria.
“Finally I ran away, went straight to the Indonesian Embassy and from the embassy I received bad treatment from the Indonesian Embassy people,” said EH while holding back tears.
Starting from a job offer to Saudi Arabia and claiming to have an urgent need, EH also agreed to the offer.
“Finally someone came, a sponsor from the village, offered me a job in Saudi Arabia. He said his salary was Rp. 5 million and he got a fee. I still need it urgently, finally I want it,” said EH when he was presented at the Bareskrim Police Headquarters, South Jakarta, Tuesday (9/4/2019).
After going through the administrative process and medical tests, EH was flown to Surabaya on May 3, 2018, and was accommodated for one week.
He was then taken to Turkey. After one week EH was in Turkey, he was sent to Syria.
While working in Syria, EH did not receive a salary for three months and in the end managed to escape. He went straight to the local embassy to complain about his case. However, the woman actually received unpleasant treatment from the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus, Syria.
The Indonesian Embassy person who was mentioned with the initials H, said EH even insulted, berated, and sent EH back to his agent. In fact, EH has revealed that he does not want to return to his agency for fear of being hit.
“Finally I was returned by the agent, I told the embassy’s father, Mr. H, ‘Sir, I don’t want to be returned to the agent, I’m afraid of being beaten’,” he said.
Person H still returned EH to his agent and brought him to the local agent’s office. The thing he feared happened. EH was beaten by his agent and not given a job for one month.
Instead of being repatriated, EH was again sold and sent to Iraq. In Iraq EH was raped until she became pregnant by her employer’s child.
Tragically, EH was imprisoned for one month while pregnant for a theft charge case, according to which there was no evidence.
He finally received protection and assistance from the Indonesian Embassy in Baghdad and the Seed Foundation.
“If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here either, I wouldn’t be able to see you either,” EH told reporters.
In this TIP case, the police have arrested 8 suspects during March 2019. The total number of victims is around 1,200 people.
For the Syrian network, the police named one suspect with the initials Muhammad Abdul Halim Herlangga alias Erlangga, who since 2014, Erlangga has sent and recruited 300 people. Erlangga was arrested in Tangerang.
The suspects are subject to multiple layers of articles, namely Article 4 and Article 10 of Law (UU) Number 21 of 2007 concerning the Eradication of the Criminal Act of Trafficking in Persons with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and Article 81 and Article 86 Letter (B) of Law Number 18 of 2017 on the Protection of Migrant Workers, with a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. Then, they were also charged with Article 102 paragraph (1) letter B of Law Number 39 of 2004 concerning the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Abroad with a maximum threat of 10 years.
