Police Arrest Alleged Leader of Armed Criminal Group in Highland Papua

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Police (Polri) stated on Sunday that they have arrested a person with the initials KTH/PH, who is suspected of being one of the leaders of the armed criminal group (KKB) in Highland Papua.

According to Police Brigadier General Ahmad Ramadhan, the Head of the Public Information Bureau at Polri's Public Relations Division, the person was arrested on Friday (May 19, 2023), at 1:30 p.m. local time.

KTH/PH was allegedly involved in several criminal activities perpetrated by the armed criminal group in Yahukimo, Highland Papua, he said.

He mentioned that the crimes in question include the murder of a military personnel on November 4, 2022, as well as shootings against the Yahukimo police force on November 29, 2022, which led to a police officer's death.

"Additionally, there were shootings against the Prevention Task Force at the Mobile Brigade Corps on November 30, 2022, and against the Yahukimo Police Department on December 30, 2022," he said during a press conference followed in Jakarta.

Ramadhan stated that there were two pieces of evidence that led to KTH being named as a suspect in the shooting on November 30, 2022.

Currently, the suspect is being detained at the Papua Police headquarters, he pointed out.

KTH/PH was arrested following an investigation of AS, a suspect in the Mobile Brigade Corps shooting on November 30, 2022, who had been previously detained by the authorities.

"The investigation team, assisted by Yahukimo Police Department's investigators, confirmed the suspect's identity by showing a picture of KTH/PH to AS," he explained.

AS confirmed that the person in the picture was KTH/PH, a leader of KKB, he added.

ANTARA

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