The man who trades on tragedy An Indonesian former policeman turned people smuggler has been caught on a hidden camera referring to asylum seekers as "goats" and boasting of how he bribed police to turn a blind eye to his operation. The man, Freddy Ambon, is one of Indonesia's most active people smugglers, and boasts of sending multiple boats per month to Christmas Island, charging refugees between $5000 and $6000 for the journey. He also talks about a boat he helped arrange last year which sank, killing 96 people. The tragedy prompted a fierce parliamentary debate in Australia, and ultimately forced Labor to reverse its position and reopen Nauru and Manus Island detention centres. Lost at sea: A photo from the Coroner's report shows asylum seekers being rescued off Christmas Island in December 2010. Ambon revealed a change in the tactics of his syndicate since the tragic sinking last June. . To me, honestly, I don't mind taking small numbers. The important thing, thank god, is that the journey goes smoothly ... if there were three departures in one month I'd thank god - 50 people in the first batch, 50 in the second batch, 50 in the third batch, that adds up to 150 people, right? The video was recorded in a Jakarta apartment in May by a man posing as someone who could bring Afghan refugees to sail on Ambon's boats. Fairfax Media and the ABC obtained the video in a joint investigation. The man who recorded it is now believed to have left Indonesia. The people smuggler known as Freddy Ambon, who refers to asylum seekers as "goats." Ambon, who attended the meeting with his wife, daughter-in-law and granddaughter, describes himself as the operations manager of a syndicate run by a Pakistani smuggler known as Billu. He says he is paid a wage by Billu, whose real name is Javed Mehmud Bhat. Bhat has since been arrested. "He's the boss, he's the owner, and I was the one who ran the business ... without me he could do nothing," Ambon says. I am an expert at this job ... everybody knows. "We've been in the business for years," Ambon's wife adds. Ambon says he buys the boat from a man in the north Jakarta suburb of Muara Angke, and then has the engines overhauled and fuel loaded. The boat is then sailed empty to a beach called Labuhan, near Pandeglang in West Java. The refugees are picked up from a suburb of north Jakarta and taken to Ancol Beach marina. The police do not stop them. "It's ... guarded by police, my police, my men," Ambon says. The head of Ancol police post, first inspector Sulistyo Yudo Pangestu, denied that any illegal migrants had been captured at Ancol and said he had never heard of Freddy Ambon. The refugees take another boat from Ancol to Labuhan, near Pandeglang, where the police also make no arrests: "The police chief is like 'this' with me ... and the police headquarters will escort the boat," Ambon says. I'm a former policeman ... it means there is no problem, bro ... The passengers will get through. Indonesian police spokesman senior commissioner Agus Riyanto said the story about corruption at Pandeglang was "not true, there is nothing like that." But in Indonesia, the code word for bribery is often "co-ordination" and, Ambon says, unsuccessful people smugglers neglect this. Those we read about in the media who got caught, it's because they didn't do much co-ordination ... if they do have co-ordination, they can get to Christmas Island. Ambon also reveals long-held suspicions that refugees are instructed to call for help from Christmas Island authorities, whether or not they are in trouble. Satellite phones. The captain has one and I have one, so when they're still on their way ... the captain calls the police on Christmas Island and asks to be picked up ... we don't wait until they arrive before calling in the emergency. Save our Souls! Save Our Souls! ... then the police come and rescue. During the conversation Ambon is interrupted several times by phone calls in which he appears to give advice about refugee boats. He is quizzed about the boat in which 96 people died last June. He agreed he helped arrange that boat with a Pakistani man but says the sinking was the other man's fault. This boat's capacity was only 200 but he loaded on more and more people. And when there was only five or six miles to go to Christmas Island, it was too late for any help to arrive. It was overloaded, so full. I told him, 'Don't put more passengers on,' but he insisted. So it wasn't my fault. I did no wrong," Ambon says. I've never done that, bro. I always get them through. They get through ... all the time. The boat carried 207, of whom 111 were rescued by the Australian navy. Ambon says someone he knew had been on that boat and was now missing: "He was my next door neighbour. He's gone. Just ask my wife, I was burdened by it. I immediately paid his wife 250 million rupiah ($28,000)," Ambon says. As for Nana, the man who arranged the tragic journey: "The Pakistani escaped. Perhaps you know him? He's not a good man, he's not a good man. Contacted by Fairfax Media on Monday, the man in the video says Freddy Ambon is an alias, and his real name is Muhammad Aksan. He denies any involvement in people smuggling. Fairfax has confirmed with authorities that Freddy is on the radar of police.