Papua Police Investigate Firearms Smuggled to Armed Criminals
Translator
Editor
22 February 2021 16:33 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The West Papua Police on Monday, February 22, confirmed that an arrest had been made against parties who smuggled firearms and ammunition to local armed criminal groups (KKB).
A previous report alleged two police personnel had smuggled the firearms to the KKB or separatist group. West Papua Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Adam Erwindi said that the suspect, identified as WT, was merely a middleman.
“The suspect who sold [the firearms] was arrested in Ambon by the local police. We arrested the middleman,” said Adam Erwindi to Tempo on February 22.
The middleman, according to him, obtained the firearms and the illegal ammunition from two other suspects, who claimed they committed the crime for financial reasons. Meanwhile, Maluku Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Mohamed Roem said his institution had commenced an investigation into this case.
“We secured a number of people who are currently being questioned,” said Roem to Tempo on the same day as the interview with Adam Erwindi.
Roem claimed he did not know the people involved in the smuggling, and that he was unaware of the involvement of two policemen in the crime. “Whether there were policemen in the scheme, only the investigators would know. It will be exposed soon,” said Roem.
Read: KontraS Records 40 Acts of Violence in Papua throughout 2020
ANDITA RAHMA
