November 20, 2025 | 03:03 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Bandung City Police Department has probed four witnesses in the alleged human trafficking case of an 18-year-old footballer from Bandung, Rizki Nur Fadhilah. Bandung City Police Criminal Investigation Unit Chief, Commissioner Luthfi Olot Gigantara, mentioned that Rizki, who aspired to be a professional football player, was allegedly trafficked to Cambodia.
Luthfi said the police are handling the case after receiving a report from the family on November 17, 2025. "We have questioned four witnesses thus far. The father, grandmother, and the victim's friends. All confirm that Rizki was in Cambodia for work," said Luthfi, quoted from his written statement on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
Luthfi mentioned that Rizki is strongly suspected of being a victim of human trafficking after receiving a Facebook offer to participate in a football selection by a Medan-based professional club.
Rizki, a former goalkeeper of Diklat Persib, departed for Medan on October 28, 2025. But the family received the news that Rizki was en route to Cambodia from Malaysia on November 2, 2025.
"There, he was forced to work as a 'scammer' disguised in an online dating platform," said Luthfi.
Following this case report, the police have also worked with the West Java Migrant Worker Protection Office (BP3MI) and the Cyber Directorate of the West Java Regional Police to expedite the victim's repatriation process. "To link with the Indonesian Embassy in Cambodia," he said.
Foreign Ministry Says Rizki is Not a Victim of Human Trafficking
But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier said Rizki, a Bandung resident, is not proven to be a victim of trafficking. This was confirmed by ministry spokesperson, Vahd Nabyl Achmad Mulachela, to Tempo on Thursday, November 20, 2025.
Authorities arrived at the conclusion after the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh directly interacted with RNF. "The Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh has met with Rizki Nur Fadhilah, and based on the embassy's investigation, it was found that he had known from the beginning he's going to work in Cambodia, but did not inform his family," he said.
Rizki found out about the job vacancy from social media, and did not experience any pressure during the recruitment process. "There was also no physical violence when he worked with the online scam syndicate in Sihanoukville. These various conditions lead to the conclusion that RNF is not indicated as a victim of human trafficking," he said.
The day before, the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh reported that Rizki came to the office on Wednesday morning "in good mental and physical condition.
"RNF requested the embassy's facilitation to return to the homeland after leaving the online scam syndicate where he previously worked," as stated in the official statement of the Indonesian Embassy.
The Indonesian Embassy revealed that the first report was received through the Citizen Protection Hotline on November 10, 2025, from Rizki's relatives. However, the limited information made it difficult for the initial search efforts. Communication continued until Rizki came to the embassy of his own volition.
Currently, the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh is processing RNF's travel documents and coordinating with Cambodian authorities for his immediate repatriation. Several parties in Indonesia are also said to have offered support for the repatriation process.
Adinda Jasmine also contributed to the writing of this article
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