As leaders from across the region, including Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, assemble in Bali for talks on people smuggling, fresh evidence has emerged that efforts to stem the flow of boats to Christmas Island are being undermined by corrupt police in Jakarta.
A source close to one major operation, who cannot be identified because of concerns for his safety, told AAP he was recently involved in a venture in which uniformed police helped escort about 70 asylum seekers from an apartment in Jakarta to a waiting boat.
"We all had to pay the police $US300. But we already paid the smuggler," he said.
The money given to police was on top of $5000 to $6000 the asylum seekers had already paid to secure passage from Indonesia to Christmas Island.
The people smuggler behind the operation has been identified as an Afghan man named Nasir Ahmad, alias Haji Majeed.
It is believed Ahmad had worked as an agent for the alleged people-smuggling kingpin Sayed Abbas, who is being held at police headquarters in Jakarta while he awaits extradition to Australia.
Abbas has denied being involved in people smuggling, but confirmed that he had heard the name Haji Majeed.
"Haji Majeed has a good name as smuggler," Abbas told AAP during a recent interview.
Ahmad is believed to have sent at least five asylum-seeker boats to Australia in the past six weeks.
Other people smugglers have been successful in persuading asylum seekers not to worry about being sent to Nauru or Manus Island.
In a recorded telephone conversation provided to AAP, a long-time people smuggler identified as an Iranian man known as Abu Ali dismisses an asylum seeker's concerns that boats may be turned back to Indonesia.
Asylum seeker: "People say that the route is not safe and people say that the boat will be returned when it reaches Australian territory? Is it correct?"
Abu Ali: "No, it is wrong. These days the boat arriving there, they go directly into the camp."
Asylum seeker: "There is another country near to that and (Australia) send them there which made us worried. And they don't let into Australia."
Abu Ali: "No, that is wrong. Everyone go directly into the camp, God knows."
The details of the sales pitches employed by people smugglers came to light as officials from across the region began arriving in Bali on Monday for talks on combating people smuggling.
The two-day meeting will be co-chaired by Senator Carr and Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.
ninemsn.com.au 1 Apr 2013
As part of the new order of the world, the so called 'asylum seekers' are part of the greater political agenda to seed countries like Australia with cheap, uneducated labour.
A move that is supported by governments and corporations alike.
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