Indonesia police detain Afghan asylum seekers
Updated
Indonesian police have confirmed that nine Afghan asylum seekers who had been planning to travel to Australia have been detained on the island of Flores.
Our correspondent in Indonesia, Geoff Thompson, reports from Jakarta the nine Afghan men and one Indonesian were arrested on Wednesday night.
The Police Chief of the west Manggarai regency on Flores island, Butje Hello has told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the nine Afghan men and their Indonesian organiser travelled from Jakarta to Bali to Flores island where they were arrested in a small hotel.
The organiser told police on Flores that the men intended to travel to Rote island from where they hoped to sail to Australia on a fishing boat.
Mr Hello said none of the men can speak English and only one is carrying a passport.
The police intend to hand the Afghans over to the International Organisation for Migration on Saturday.
