October 29, 2025 | 11:49 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A 26-year-old man with the initials "F," hailing from Bogor, Indonesia, has allegedly become a victim of human trafficking in Cambodia. F was initially promised a job as a customer service representative in Singapore by an acquaintance of his younger sibling.
"He was offered the job by his younger sibling's longtime friend," said the victim's father, Firman, when contacted on Monday, October 27, 2025.
Firman recounted that his son departed for Singapore in September 2025. The son had initially reported working in Singapore for about a month until mid-October 2025.
On October 17, 2025, F suddenly reported being in Cambodia. Firman stated that his son claimed to have been unaware of being taken to Cambodia. The victim admitted that during the journey, his passport and documents were held by his companion.
"It wasn't until he landed that he realized he was in Cambodia," Firman said.
He was taken to the front of a shop, then kidnapped and brought to a workplace suspected to be the headquarters of an online scam operation. Firman mentioned that his child managed to escape on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.
At that time, the child was tasked with picking up food orders in front of the shop, which served as the base for the online scam. It was then that the victim escaped and ordered an online motorcycle taxi to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
According to Firman, his son is currently under the protection of KBRI Phnom Penh and is accommodated in a hotel. However, the son claimed to have received threats from the employer via WhatsApp. In a message shown by Firman, the perpetrator sent a threat: "You won't live peacefully even if you return to Indonesia."
According to Firman, the expenses for hotel accommodation and food during the protection period are covered by the family. "To date, there has been no clarity about the repatriation process from KBRI," Firman said.
Deputy Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Dzulfikar Ahmad Tawalla stated that they have received a report from F's family. Dzulfikar confirmed the existence of threats against the illegal migrant worker.
Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration (P2MI), according to Dzulfikar, has ensured F's current safety and has changed his phone number for security reasons. "We have prepared an official letter to the Indonesian representative in Cambodia for assistance in handling this issue," Dzulfikar said.
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