Indonesian police detained dozens of Pakistani and Afghan boat migrants and four suspected people traffickers, officials said Tuesday. The suspects _ including a broker, ship skipper and two crew members _ were captured at a port on Sulawesi island Monday, said Badrodin Haiti, Indonesia's transnational crime chief.
A joint Australian-Indonesian operation detained 25 Pakistanis and 15 Afghans, said chief detective Susno Duadji, adding that all but one had entered Indonesian illegally.
Indonesia is a popular route for migrants from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar who often risk their lives on rough seas in search of better lives in Australia, Malaysia and other destinations. The vast archipelago of 17,000 islands is extremely difficult to police and can be treacherous. At least four Afghans drowned last month trying to cross from eastern Indonesian to Australia in a boat that was not seaworthy.