Frustrated refugees are easy prey for people smugglers
Australian immigration minister, Philip Ruddock, has asked Indonesia to extradite the man, who he described as of Egyptian origin.
Only 44 people survived when the 19-metre boat sank en-route to Australia.
Mr Ruddock said: "We know who the person was who arranged this particular package of travellers. He put 400 people on a boat 19 metres long that could only take 150 people."
Mr Ruddock also announced that Australia would take 40 refugees awaiting resettlement, but he said these was unlikely to include survivors from the sinking.
International talks
Indonesia announced on Wednesday it will host international talks on people-smuggling.
Foreign Minister Hasan Wirayuda said the issue was becoming urgent, with the expected arrival of more Afghan asylum-seekers because of the US airstrikes.
He said the talks would include countries used as transit routes by refugees from the Middle East and Afghanistan, and destination countries such as Australia.
Refugee frustration
An official with the United Nations' refugee agency, UNHCR, has said about 30 of those on board may have been recognised refugees, frustrated at inaction on resettlement.
Raymond Hall, the UNHCR regional representative said: "Governments are not lining up to offer resettlement
places."
Speaking before Mr Ruddock's announcement, Mr Hall said: "Australia will take none of the recognised refugees [from Indonesia]. Other countries say...we are prepared to take some but why should we take the leading role."
Refugees, he said, did not trust legal resettlement process and were impatient to start new lives.
Hard line
Australia has taken a hard line against asylum seekers trying to enter the country by sea since late August, when it refused entry to a boatload of mainly Afghan refugees rescued at sea by a Norwegian freighter.
It has since turned away about 1,500 asylum seekers, sending the majority to other countries including Nauru, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea for processing.
An Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday about 1,600 asylum seekers are registered in Indonesia but the actual figure could be higher.
People smugglers charge between $800 - $1,900 for the one-way run to the nearest Australian territorial waters, about 350 kilometres (220 miles) south of Java.