The National Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers has called for a thorough investigation into the shooting deaths of three workers in Malaysia, calling the police officers involved in the killings "barbaric."

"We condemn it as it seems barbaric," Jumhur Hidayat, chairman of the agency, known as the BNP2TKI, said on Tuesday. "We have formed an investigation team that will coordinate with the Indonesian embassy [in Malaysia]."

He said the team, to be led by the agency's director of protection, Brig. Gen. Bambang Purwanto, would also investigate reports organs had been harvested from the bodies of the three men.

Bambang, who is flying to Malaysia today, said he had received an initial briefing. "What is clear is the three migrant workers were illegals – they had no documents – and had been there since 2010."

The bodies of the trio – Abdul Kadir Jaelani, 24, Herman, 28, and Mad Noor, 33 – were this week returned home to East Lombok, three weeks after they were found dead in Malaysia, each with gunshots.

Suspicions over the motives for their killing arose when family members of the victims saw the conditions of the bodies, which included stitching. The families have demanded new autopsies.