Indonesian Police Investigate Alleged Military Recruitment Trafficking

The National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) has initiated a formal investigation into alleged human trafficking involving the recruitment of Indonesian citizens for service in the Russian military.

Brig. Gen. Nurul Azizah, Bareskrim director of criminal acts against women and children, stated that five separate reports were received since late September, involving a total of 58 alleged victims.

Initial findings suggest Indonesians were lured by social media ads promising high salaries and bonuses, then sent to Russia on tourist visas for a month-long training program before being deployed to the battlefield.

Thirteen suspects have been arrested across the five cases, including two Russian nationals and one Ukrainian national, with one suspect still at large. The police are continuing to investigate a broader recruitment network both domestically and internationally.

Ukraine’s intelligence services have provided key information on the alleged recruitment, identifying eight Indonesians among foreign nationals reportedly enlisted for Russian forces. The Foreign Ministry has been verifying these claims, with urgency increasing after reports of two Indonesian deaths while fighting for Russian forces.

Several victims testified that they were promised employment contracts worth around Rp 400 million (US$22,000), with recruitment offers spread across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms.

Investigators are pursuing charges under Indonesia’s 2007 Human Trafficking Law and 2017 Migrant Worker Protection Law, which carry maximum prison sentences of 15 and 10 years, respectively. The recruitment reportedly bypassed official Indonesian migrant worker placement companies, with candidates not registered with the labor agency.

Bareskrim is coordinating with the International Relations Division and the Foreign Ministry as the investigation continues. The Russian Embassy in Jakarta has denied any official military recruitment channels targeting foreign nationals for mercenary roles.

Deputy Indonesian Ambassador in Russia, Hartyo Harkomoyo, noted a rise in the number of Indonesians recruited by third parties for Russian military service, with many initially unaware they would be sent to fight, lured by offers of civilian jobs such as driving, security, construction, and medical assistance.