Indonesian police name four suspects in Virgo Transport ferry sinking

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5 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s National Police (Polri) have named four suspects in connection with alleged violations related to the fatal sinking of the Virgo Transport 8 ferry in the Java Sea.

“In the ongoing investigation into the Virgo Transport 8 ferry accident, investigators have named four suspects, all of whom have been taken into custody,” said Brigadier General Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko, head of Polri’s Public Information Bureau.

In a statement received on Thursday, he identified three of the suspects as employees of the ferry operator, PT Virgo Karya Shipping: operational manager RH, Surabaya branch general manager YR, and agent LBA.

Andiko added that the three suspects were named after investigators had earlier identified the ship’s captain, AY, as a suspect.

He said the suspect designations were based on the results of the investigation and case reconstruction, which pointed to alleged negligence, complicity, and aiding in the circumstances that led to the accident.

“Our investigation is not limited to those directly involved in operating the vessel. Investigators have also examined the company’s role in the case,” Andiko noted.

Investigators invoked provisions under the Shipping Law and the Criminal Code, including articles governing participation in and aiding a criminal offense. The four suspects are being held at a detention facility operated by the South Kalimantan Police.

Virgo Transport 8 lost contact in the Java Sea at around 2 a.m. local time on Sept. 13 while sailing from Surabaya, East Java, to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, with 243 people aboard.

Indonesian authorities immediately launched a search and rescue (SAR) operation and have so far recovered 190 people, including 108 survivors.

The National SAR Agency halted underwater operations on the 21st day of the mission, citing the need to raise the wreck to allow safer access and prevent further deterioration of human remains trapped inside the vessel.