Further investigation of the Jakarta Post reveals last article as of 26 Sept 08, below:
From some of the comments posted on the site, it appears Scotty et al, showed up in Merauke expecting "Visa-on-arrival" procedures to be available. Immigration's suspicions and subsequent arrest was only made AFTER he tried to file a flight plan for the RETURN flight.
Police reports five illegal Australian tourist for prosecution
The Jakarta Post | Fri, 09/26/2008 8:53 PM | National
The case of five Australian tourists who entered the country unauthorized last week has been brought to the Merauke district attorney office in Papua for prosecution, the police said Friday.
Police investigators completed their examination of the case and filed a report to the attorney's office Friday morning, National police spokesperson Ir. Gen Abubakar Nataprawira told reporters.
The five Australians entered Indonesia illegally on Sept. 12 on board a six-seater V-68 airplane. They landed at the Mopah Merauke airport after departing from Horn island, Australia.
The Australians claimed to be tourists, Abubakar said, but were not accompanied with the appropriate visa permits. For the violation, the passengers could be sentenced up to seven years in prison, he said.
"The pilots can be charged with up to 12 years for breaking the laws on immigration and aviation."
Currently, the five Australians are in quarantine at the Merauke immigration office. They Australians are: William Henry Scott Bloxam (pilot), Vera Scott Bloxam (co-pilot), Hubert Hoer, Karen Burke and Keith Rowald (passengers). (ast)