Papua Police Chief: Investigators are still chasing the buyers of illegal firearms

Illegal firearms transaction in Papua

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAYAPURA – Papua Police Chief Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw said that until now investigators were still pursuing a suspect named SK that was suspected of ordering firearms that were secured in Nabire. “The whereabouts of the SK are still unknown,” said Waterpauw in Jayapura, Papua province, Thursday (5/11).

He admitted that SK’s involvement in the case of buying and selling firearms was revealed by the testimony of one of the suspects who is currently being held at the Papua Police Headquarters. The Senpi was ordered since the end of 2019, but before being handed over to SK who was a former member of the Intan Jaya DPRD, the joint TNI-Polri team managed to thwart it.

Two rifles of the M16 and M4 types that were thought to strengthen the KKB’s weapons were brought from Jakarta on 21 October by Bripka MJH and scheduled to be handed over to DC. “The three suspects who are currently detained, namely Bripka MJH, DC and FHS,” said Waterpauw.

The Papua Police Chief added that from the statements of the suspects, the sale and purchase of senpi had been carried out since 2017. It was recorded that Bripka MJH brought various types of pennies with wages ranging from Rp. 10 million to Rp. 30 million per shoot depending on the type.

Investigations related to the buying and selling of senpi have long been detected. “However, the mode they do is neat enough that it makes it difficult for members to reveal it,” said Waterpauw.

Illegal firearms transaction in Papua

Notes:

It should be noted that Free West Papua is the main source of the problem in Papua and West Papua province. They recruit child soldiers creating continuous cycle of violence, the buy illegal firearms and use it to terrorise the population.

A former Dutch colony, West Papua has formally returned to Indonesia in 1969.

The undisputed vote of about 1,025 representative tribal leaders has chosen to join Indonesia.

The United Nations endorsed the result of the plebiscite and the world recognized West Papua as part Indonesia.

West Papuan people have elected the leaders of Papua and West Papua provinces.

The election in West Papua has strengthened the legality of the region as a province of Indonesia.

Since 2007, Abdurrahman Wahid administration changed the name from Irian Jaya to Papua.

Papua gained a “Special Autonomy” status, a political compromise between Papuans and the central government.

In 2001, politicians in Jakarta agreed to proceed with the implementation of the Special Autonomy.