Indonesian Police Smash Firearms Network Fueling Papua's Armed Criminal Group

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

JAKARTA, March 11 (Bernama) -- Indonesian police have successfully dismantled a firearms and ammunition supply network for Armed Criminal Group (KKB) operating across several provinces.

The operation, carried out by the Damai Cartenz Task Force, led to the arrest of seven individuals and the seizure of 17 firearms, along with 3,573 rounds of ammunition.

The coordinated effort, which involved the Papua, West Papua, East Java, and Yogyakarta police forces, followed an investigation conducted between March 6 and 9, according to a police statement.

Papua Police Chief, Inspector General Patrige Renwarin, stated: “This operation is part of a broader initiative by the police to combat the smuggling of weapons into the Papua region and ensure security stability in the region.”

The operation’s breakthrough came on March 6, when three suspects were arrested and a large cache of weapons and ammunition was seized in Keerom Regency, intended for use by the KKB.

Patrige said one key suspect arrested has been implicated in financing and coordinating weapons purchases for the KKB in Puncak Jaya.

Other arrested individuals played various roles in the network, including sourcing firearms, smuggling, and manufacturing homemade weapons, he added.

Among the seized items were six long-barrelled firearms, six short-barrelled firearms, five homemade guns, 3,573 rounds of ammunition, and two explosive detonators.

Authorities also confiscated weapon components, including magazines, stocks, and barrels for homemade firearms, alongside IDR 369,600,000 (about US$23,692) in cash.

The evidence was recovered from multiple locations, including the houses of the suspects in Bojonegoro (East Java), Sleman (Yogyakarta), and Manokwari (West Papua).

The suspects now face charges under the Emergency Law and Article 55 of the Criminal Code, with penalties ranging from life imprisonment to the death sentence.

The conflict between Indonesian forces and separatist rebels in Papua has intensified in recent years, marked by a surge in attacks targeting both security personnel and civilians.

-- BERNAMA