Survivors of the asylum seeker tragedy arrive in Indonesia yesterday. Picture: Source: The Daily Telegraph
- Authorities closing in on people smuggling ring
- Comes as search for survivors enters fourth day
- More than 200 feared dead or missing in tragedy
Authorities in Indonesia are closer to finding the individuals behind a people-smuggling operation that ended in the deaths of scores of asylum seekers.
Up to 200 people are missing, feared drowned, after their boat suddenly capsised off East Java, 60km into its voyage to Christmas Island.
As the search for survivors entered its fourth day, there were fresh reports that another group of asylum seekers from the doomed vessel, which sank in rough seas on Saturday, may have made their way to an island off the East Java coast.
The development came after a group of 13 people, comprising 12 men and a woman, were found yesterday on the island of Nusa Barung, about 200km from the site of the tragedy.
The discovery of the group of 13, as well as two crew who abandoned the sinking ship in a dinghy and were found yesterday afternoon, puts the total number of survivors at 49.
Authorities are yet to confirm the reports of the second group on another island.
The chief of the search and rescue effort, Sutrisno, said no more survivors had been found, but added that the mission would continue until at least Saturday.
"At the moment there is not other confirmation," Sutrisno told AAP.
"But the search and rescue mission will continue and we have expanded the search area."
Indonesian anti-people smuggling taskforce officers, assisted by Australian Federal Police, have continued interviewing survivors as they look to gather evidence and establish who was responsible for the deadly people-smuggling venture.
Brigadier-General Ari Dono Sukmanto, who has overall responsibility for the anti-people smuggling taskforce, has told AAP that while no chief suspect had been established, authorities were starting to build up leads.
"At the moment we are investigating witnesses and developing the case to know who the people smugglers are."
There have been some reports that the boat may have been organised by a group linked to people-smuggling kingpin Sayeed Abbas, who is currently in prison in Indonesia but is wanted for extradition by Australian authorities.
Brig-Gen Sukmanto said the two crew members, who were now in Malang in East Java, were in poor condition, but that police would continue to question them about the identity of the person or persons who hired them and organised the boat.
"We are having difficulties talking to them because of their physical condition," he said. "But we are focused on finding more survivors and knowing the identity of the people smugglers."
There are concerns many of those that are still missing could have been trapped in the vessel when it went down after being swamped by large waves.
Sutrisno said, however, that it would be "very difficult" to retrieve the ship.
"We are not sure exactly where it sank," he added.
A number of the survivors have said there were as many as 40 children aboard the boat when it sank.
It was carrying up to 250 people, but had a capacity of just 100.
Survivors have said they paid between $4000 and $6500 to board the vessel, which would have netted the people smugglers about $1 million in total.
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