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Australian police escort the asylum seekers back to shore - Source: APTN -
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Arabic news network Al Jazeera has broadcast a report claiming
to expose the methods used by people smugglers operating between
Indonesia and Australia.
Journalist Step Vaessen interviews two men in the report, Asylum
seekers Riot in Australia, who say they are part of a smuggling
syndicate involving people from Afghanistan and Indonesia.
Their faces disguised with hats and scarves, the men detail their
illegal and dangerous journeys transporting asylum seekers on small
fishing boats to Australia.
"I have no fear," one man, a boat captain, tells the
reporter.
"I heard that when we are arrested in Australia, we are put in a
fancy prison with good facilities, and are being brought back home
in a plane to Jakarta, and then back here (to West Timor)."
The captain says he has tried four times to take asylum seekers to
Australia, but every time he was arrested by Indonesian police who
he later bribed to get out of prison, according to the
report.
He says he receives around A$10,000 per trip.
The strategy of the smugglers is to pretend to be in danger so
Australian rescue boats will pick them up and take them to the
immigration detention centre, Vaessen says.
The reporter, who was filmed on board one of the syndicate's boats,
says the asylum seekers are hidden below deck, sometimes in ice
boxes, only emerging under the cover of darkness for fresh
air.
If police boats arrive, they are locked inside and piles of fishing
nets are used to disguise the illegal cargo.
A second man, who also claims to be a smuggler, says the operations
are well planned, with several police decoys in place.
"For every departure we arrange four or five different locations to
mislead the police," he says.
"We also prepare different places to hide and several boats we can
use. We can change our plan at the last minute if necessary."
Vaessen said some admit they feel troubled risking the lives of
asylum seekers and their children on small boats.
"They all know not everyone arrives safely," she said.
