Papua New Guinea police dismantle transnational trafficking ring holding nearly 40 Indonesians

In a morning raid on a three-bedroom residence in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea police uncovered 39 men and women from Indonesia who claimed they were held against their will and forced to run an online scam from the living room. The victims, allegedly recruited through social media, had been in the country for roughly a month as part of a complex people-smuggling operation. Police also seized four Chinese nationals suspected of orchestrating the scheme and indicated that more arrests could follow.

Deputy Police Commissioner Donald Yamasombi said early inquiries point to a transnational trafficking network operating across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The Indonesian embassy said it is assisting the rescued individuals, while Police Commissioner David Manning pledged no leniency for traffickers. Investigators are tracing the traffickers' movements and connections both locally and abroad.