Immigration Detains 26 Thai Fishermen

Ambon (Antara Bali) - The Class I Immigration Office of Ambon has detained 26 Thai fishermen due to their expired stay permits.

"Five officers were sent to the quarantine house of Class I Custom Office of Ambon, while the other 21 still remain on board their boat, which is harboring on Perikanan Nusantara Port (PPN) of Tantui,"Head of Class I Immigration Office of Ambon I Dewa Sukawiryawan said here Friday.

All of the foreign fishermen will not be released until their employer extend their permits, which expired on May 12 2013. 


The skipper of the boat said that the fishermen's papers had been submitted to the Directorate General of Immigration Jakarta since May 7 for extension but their process has not yet been finished.

The fishermen have been in Ambon since May 4 after their boat tugged due to engine failure around Aru Islands. (*/M038)