Indonesian Police Declare 13 Suspects in Russian Mercenary Trafficking Case, 58 Victims Counted

Indonesia's National Police have declared 13 people suspects in a human trafficking case over the recruitment of Indonesians to serve as mercenaries in Russia, the Antara news agency reported. Brigadier General Nurul Azizah, Director of the Directorate of Crimes against Women and Children and Human Trafficking at the National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim), announced the case at a press conference in Jakarta on November 2, 2026. Two of the 13 are Russian citizens, according to Antara. The full press conference was published on Youtube by Tribunnews.

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Five Police Reports, 58 Victims

Azizah said the 13 suspects were identified from five police reports handled by Bareskrim and by police in Jakarta and West Java. She counted 58 victims in total. The cases, with the report dates she read out at the press conference:

She said the case has moved to the investigation stage and that police are continuing to look for a wider recruitment network, both in Indonesia and abroad. 

Logistics Jobs, Then a Mercenary Contract

According to Azizah, the suspects used social media, job portals and messaging apps to lure victims with promises of work abroad. Victims were promised a signing bonus of up to $35,000 and a monthly salary of about $3,000. The jobs offered were in logistics, border security and defense construction. After going through recruitment and being sent to Russia, the victims were directed to sign contracts as mercenaries, undergo training and potentially be deployed to conflict zones, she said.

Answering a journalist from Antara TV, Azizah confirmed that the recruiters did not offer mercenary work directly, but logistics jobs. She said victims are sent into armed conflict without legal protection, clear employment contracts or guarantees of safety.

The suspects are charged under Article 4 in conjunction with Article 10 of Indonesia's anti-trafficking law (Law No. 21 of 2007) and Article 81 of the law on the protection of Indonesian migrant workers (Law No. 18 of 2017). Azizah said police uphold the presumption of innocence. None of the suspects has been reported convicted, and the cases are active.

Soldiers and Police Among the Recruits

Asked by a journalist whether the suspects targeted only civilians, Azizah said the recruits were not only civilians - members of the Indonesian military (TNI) and the police were also among them. She did not say how many.

Asked whether the recruiters worked together, she said that for now they have been acting as individuals, and that police are working with the West Java and Jakarta forces to find the links between the cases. She said police have been in contact with the National Police's international relations division and with Indonesia's Foreign Ministry throughout. On the journalists' remaining questions, she said the investigation was still being developed and police would share updates.

"We stand with zero tolerance for exploitation or human trafficking," Azizah said, according to Antara. She urged the public to be wary of suspicious job offers abroad and to report them to law enforcement.

A Safe Way Out

Indonesians and other foreign nationals lured into Russia's armed forces have an option to safely escape the battlefield with Ukraine's "I Want to Live" project. See our FAQ for recommendations for victims of Russian military recruitment and their families.