49 Indonesians Detained in Madagascar Allegedly Victims of Human Trafficking, Including Three from Aceh; Haji Uma Appeals to Foreign Ministry

25 September 2026 oleh admin

Jakarta, dpd.go.id — A total of 49 Indonesian citizens (WNI) are reportedly still being detained at the National Gendarmerie Headquarters in Antananarivo, Madagascar, after allegedly becoming victims of job fraud and human trafficking.

The case has drawn the attention of DPD RI member from Aceh, H. Sudirman Haji Uma, S.Sos., M.Sos., after he received reports and documents from the victims’ families and the Labuhan Deli Village Government on Friday (September 25, 2026).

One of those detained is Wulamsari, 27, a resident of Labuhan Deli Village, Medan Marelan District, Medan, North Sumatra. Wulamsari is the wife of Wahyu Saputra, a resident of Aceh Besar, Aceh. She also has a child who is currently in Indonesia.

Following up on the report, Haji Uma formally sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia through the Directorate General for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Legal Aid (PWNI-BHI).

The letter, numbered 147/10.2/B-1/DPDRI/IX/2026 and dated September 25, 2026, was submitted in response to the situation involving Wulamsari and dozens of other Indonesians who remain detained in Madagascar.

Based on a letter from the Head of Labuhan Deli Village, Number 474/085/DL/IX/2026 dated September 23, 2026, the initial chronology received by the family indicates that Wulamsari was promised a job at a factory in Malaysia by someone she met through Facebook.

Wulamsari subsequently departed from Kualanamu International Airport on April 6, 2026, traveling via Jakarta, Singapore, and Dubai before eventually arriving in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The journey did not lead to the destination originally promised, namely employment in Malaysia.

Upon arrival in Antananarivo, Wulamsari’s passport was allegedly confiscated, and she was forced to work as an operator for online scams and gambling activities. When she attempted to resign and leave the job, she was allegedly ordered to pay a US$3,000 penalty.

The situation changed after Malagasy security authorities raided the location where they were working. During the operation, 49 Indonesian citizens were apprehended and subsequently taken to the National Gendarmerie Headquarters in Antananarivo.

At the time the report was received, the Indonesians had reportedly been detained for approximately 48 days. According to information provided by their families, they were not provided with food or drinking water while in detention and had to rely on supplies sent by their respective families in Indonesia.

According to Wulamsari, in addition to her husband being from Aceh Besar, two other detainees are also from Aceh: Rama Ardiansyah from Langsa and Fani Swastika from Banda Aceh.

The families also reported that Wulamsari had complained about the cramped and overcrowded detention conditions. There were also reports of alleged mistreatment during their detention.

“This is truly an outrageous way for an irresponsible agent to operate. They were offered jobs in Malaysia, but instead were allegedly made to work as operators for online scams and gambling. This constitutes human trafficking, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Embassy must act quickly,” Haji Uma stressed.

According to Haji Uma, the government needs to establish the condition and legal status of all the Indonesians involved, including investigating indications that they were victims of recruitment and human trafficking who were subsequently forced to carry out illegal activities.

“We hope the government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, can immediately provide assistance and consular access to them. Their legal status must be clarified because, according to the reports we have received, they left Indonesia to seek employment but allegedly became victims of human trafficking and were forced to perform work that was different from what they had been promised,” Haji Uma said.

Haji Uma also highlighted the conditions faced by the Indonesians while in detention. He said ensuring their basic needs must be a serious priority for the government throughout the assistance process.

“We have also received reports that they have not been provided with food and drinking water while in prison. They have had to rely on assistance sent by their families in Indonesia. This is a deeply concerning situation and requires immediate attention. The government must ensure their well-being and the fulfillment of their basic needs while the legal process is ongoing,” Haji Uma said.

Through his official letter to the Directorate General for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Legal Aid at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Haji Uma urged the government to immediately coordinate with the Indonesian diplomatic mission and local authorities in Madagascar to ensure the protection of the Indonesians, while also seeking a resolution to their legal issues and facilitating their return to Indonesia.

In Wulamsari’s case, her family hopes that arrangements for her return can be facilitated as soon as possible. Besides having a child waiting for her in Indonesia, her mother in Medan Marelan is reportedly ill and needs her presence.

“Her family situation also requires attention. Her mother is ill, and her child is waiting for her in Indonesia. Therefore, we hope swift action can be taken so that this matter can be resolved and Wulamsari, along with the other Indonesian citizens, can receive the protection they are entitled to,” Haji Uma said.

In a letter submitted to Haji Uma, the family stated that they were prepared to cover Wulamsari’s return airfare. The family also hopes the government can assist with the administrative process and the issuance of a Travel Document in Lieu of a Passport (SPLP), if necessary, for her return.

Haji Uma hopes the case will receive serious government attention, particularly in anticipating evolving human trafficking methods that exploit overseas job offers through social media.

“People must be increasingly cautious when accepting overseas job offers, especially those made through social media and unofficial channels. The desire to find employment must not be exploited by irresponsible networks and ultimately turn people into victims of human trafficking,” Haji Uma concluded.

List of the 49 Indonesians Detained Wulamsari — Medan, North Sumatra Dinda Putri Amellia — East Jakarta Andrean — East Jakarta Jelita Juliana Mamahit — Manado, North Sulawesi Sepia — South Sumatra Diana Putri Ananda — Medan, North Sumatra Imran — Medan, North Sumatra Bella Amalia Utomo — Rantau Prapat, North Sumatra Luna Artika Ramadani — Muaro, Jambi Sela Puja Swara — Langkat, North Sumatra Harry Ardi Purnomo — Pemalang, Central Java Sara Intan Nuraini — Southeast Aceh Irma Rosanti — Indramayu, West Java Kristian Chandra Silaban — Medan, North Sumatra Dea Apri Yanti — Muaro, Jambi Nurul Fitriyani — Banyuwangi, East Java Yani Firmandita Ardiansyah — Banyuwangi, East Java Fran Alexander Lumban Tobing — Medan, North Sumatra Saipul Alam — Batam, Riau Islands Muhammad Asri — Medan, North Sumatra Indriyani Belawan — North Sumatra Aditya Putra Pratama — Langkat, North Sumatra Lisa Natalia Sitepu — Batam, Riau Islands Nadya Rahmawati — Jember, East Java Steve Alfacy — Padang, West Sumatra Muhamad Azmi — Batam, Riau Islands Irpandi — Medan, North Sumatra Gesti Fatrisia — Jambi City Rama Ardiyansyah — Langsa, Aceh Sri Wulandari — Pekanlabuhan, North Sumatra Tasya Febrieliana — Batam, Riau Islands Hapis Aidil Sakti — Batam, Riau Islands Ronaldo Hari Saputra — Padang, West Sumatra Kamaria Desemberia — Kabanjahe, North Sumatra Jocky Iwan Astrada Sitepu — Kabanjahe, North Sumatra Arif Faiz Hakim — Medan, North Sumatra Zulkifli Siregar — Medan, North Sumatra Fani Swastika — Banda Aceh, Aceh Nanta Pranata Perangin Angin — Kabanjahe, North Sumatra Devi Ramayanti — Binjai, North Sumatra Klaudia Densit Halawa — Medan, North Sumatra Maswi — Pandeglang, Banten Debora Grace Claudia Limbong — Balikpapan, East Kalimantan Dewi Erika — Binjai, North Sumatra Steven — Batam, Riau Islands Niken Dwi Kholilah — Surabaya, East Java Fitria Ningsih — Jakarta Evan Sanuputra — Pandeglang, Banten Rama Sagita Pratama — Batam, Riau Islands