Parepare, S Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Police at the Nusantara port in Parepare District have foiled an attempt to smuggle out 44 illegal Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) hailing from Bima District, West Nusa Tenggara.

The police took the action after noticing that a group of people who were about to board the MV Thalia behaved suspiciously, Parepare Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner M Pratama said here Monday.

When police questioned some members of the group, they said they were on their way to Malaysia to work. But it turned out they did not have the official documents reguired to work in Malaysia. Therefore, the police did not allow them to board the ship and detained them, Pratama said.

The police also arrested Juliadi, a Bima resident, who had recruited the 44 illegal migrant workers, he said.

The 44 migrant workers had been promised jobs at oil palm plantations in Malaysia, he said, adding that they were to be smuggled into Malaysia through Munukan Port, East Kalimantan.

The illegal migrant workers were now being detained at a facility of the Parepare branch of the Migrant Workers Placement, and Protection Agency.

One of the workers from Bima, Abu Bakar (27) said he and his friends were attracted by an agent who promised to place them in palm oil plantation jobs in Malaysia.

"All we know is that we are going to be employed in oil palm plantations in Malaysia for 25 ringgit per day. It is hard to find a job in Bima, so I decided to go to Malaysia," Abu Bakar said.
 (KR-AES/HAJM)