On October 30, a 47‑year‑old Chinese national was escorted out of Indonesia by Bima immigration officials after authorities discovered he had used a visit visa to run a seaweed trading business in Dompu District, West Nusa Tenggara. The deportation was a result of an investigation led by the Bima Immigration Office’s intelligence and enforcement team, which uncovered that the individual’s company had conducted seaweed transactions totaling about 30 metric tons.
The investigation began when officers in Hu’u Village noticed the individual purchased large quantities of seaweed and tested the quality at a processing plant. Subsequent questioning revealed the person held a multiple‑entry visit visa permitting stays of up to 60 days, a status that does not allow for commercial activity through an Indonesian‑established company.
Details of the Investigation
According to Bima Immigration Office Head Joko Widodo, the authorities found that the individual’s business operations violated Articles 122(a) and 123(a) of Indonesia’s Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration. The company had bought seaweed from a local processing plant, sold it to customers in Surabaya, and exported it to China.
"WY’s activities amounted to a misuse of a stay permit and violated applicable regulations," Joko Widodo said in a statement received in Bima on Saturday.
As a result, the immigration office imposed administrative measures, including detention, deportation, and a five‑year ban on re‑entering Indonesia. The individual was removed from the country at Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport in Lombok, following escort by immigration officers.
Joko Widodo urged foreign nationals in Indonesia to comply with immigration rules and to ensure that any activities they undertake correspond to the type of stay permit they hold. He also called on the public to report suspected misuse of stay permits to the relevant authorities.
The case has been reported by Antara, the Indonesian state news agency, highlighting the strict enforcement of immigration regulations in the region.
