GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Police arrested at least 11 “undocumented” Indonesian nationals in an operation at a coastal village in Glan town, Sarangani province on Tuesday night.
Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, regional director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-12, said Wednesday the Indonesians were intercepted by joint operatives at around 9 p.m. in Sitio Calanasan, Barangay Taluya in Glan.
He said elements from the Sarangani Police Mobile Force Company, Provincial Intelligence Branch and Glan municipal police station launched the operation following reports on the presence of suspicious foreign nationals in the area.
It was conducted in coordination with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) field office in Glan, he said.
The 11 Indonesians, who all came from Sulawesi island, were identified as Kostan Tumei Manake, 47; Donni Riksmen Sitompul, 38; Harjono Makalisang, 30; Sapar Haribae Maulana, 53; Jeynes Ambalao, 34; Marthin Batasina, 51; Oscar Tempomona Masoa, 47; Karlos Sasahi, 47; Tara Hengkeng Legesang, 59; Jamudin Sarapil Pangumpia, 36; and Marcos Bastian, 52.
“Based on our investigation, these foreign nationals arrived in the area last Sept. 23 via the back door,” Rasco said, adding that the Indonesians came on board motorized boats plying the traditional route between Glan and nearby Indonesian islands.
Citing the coordination made with BI-Sarangani, he said the Indonesians were all “undocumented” or entered the area illegally.
PRO-12 and other law enforcement units have been closely monitoring the coastal areas in Sarangani, this city and neighboring areas for the possible entry of foreign nationals connected to international terror groups.
Authorities had confirmed that several members of the Islamic State-linked terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, which reportedly originated in Indonesia, were able to enter the area through the “back door” route. (Allen Estabillo/PNA)
