Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) and Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) remain committed to synergizing and collaborating to protect migrant workers and address issues pertaining to illegal migrant workers.
The commitment was made as BP2MI officials, led by BP2MI Head Benny Rhamdani, visited the PPATK office in Jakarta on Tuesday. BP2MI officials were received by PPATK Head Dian Ediana Rae and other PPATK officials.
"PPATK and BP2MI have agreed to formalize our collaboration through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regulating information exchange, training, knowledge sharing, and other collaborations," Rae stated.
Rae reiterated the PPATK's concern over crimes against humanity, such as human trafficking, people smuggling, and modern slavery, while adding that cooperation with BP2MI will confirm PPATK’s role to address those issues.
"Our cooperation with BP2MI will enhance the Indonesian government’s efforts to protect Indonesian migrant workers," he noted.
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Despite the 2021 annual national risk assessment that rated money laundering on the people smuggling crime potential as low, the PPATK would stay vigilant to investigate and suppress such crimes that often involve international criminal networks, Rae stated.
He noted that money laundering practices through cash transfer or cross-border cash-carrying methods were often committed by migrant workers or criminal syndicates that deployed them.
Meanwhile, BP2MI Head Benny Ramdhani emphasized the criticality of protecting migrant workers, as they are the second main contributor to foreign exchange income in Indonesia after the natural oil and gas industry, thereby deemed essential for the national economy.
He noted that human trafficking was an extraordinary crime, and public participation was necessary to crack down on criminal syndicates. He also cited internal research that found human trafficking crime as the capital source for criminals.
"Criminal syndicates that helped migrant workers illegally could earn profit of up to Rp40 million (around US$2,800) while spending only Rp20 million (around US$1,400) for other expenses," Ramdhani noted.
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