Indonesian police have said that an Indonesian citizen, with the initials JD, returned from India and circumvented mandatory COVID-19 preventive quarantine after paying Rp6.5 million.
The money was given by JD to S and RW, who are suspected of assisting in facilitating the deal so that the person did not need to participate in the 14-day quarantine upon arrival from India. Those known as S and RW claimed to be Soekarno-Hatta Airport officers.
“Being managed by someone with the initials S and RW could have been successful, without quarantine they would have continued to return to their house,” said Head of Public Relations of Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Police Commissioner Yusri Yunus.
Yusri said that the police are still investigating whether S and RW were really officers at Soetta Airport or not.
“Are there any other perpetrators? We are still investigating this. The problem is that these naughty people are already busy, people from abroad without quarantine can continue to pay in,” said Yusri.
On 25th April, the government decided to stop granting visas to foreigners who have lived in or visited India within the previous 14 days. This policy is in response to the spike in positive cases of COVID-19 in India.
Further, the government has also set a 14-day quarantine policy for those arriving from India.