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Hundreds of rounds of ammunition confiscated at Sentani Airport
The Sentani Airport Police (KP3) confiscated hundreds of rounds of ammunition from a 29-year-old male passenger, identified only by the initials TW, who was en route to Wamena in the Jayawijaya regency via an Express Air flight on Sunday
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he Sentani Airport Police (KP3) confiscated hundreds of rounds of ammunition from a 29-year-old male passenger, identified only by the initials TW, who was en route to Wamena in the Jayawijaya regency via an Express Air flight on Sunday.
Papua Police spokesperson, Sr. Comr. Pudjo Sulistyo, said in Jayapura on Monday that police arrested the passenger when he was about to check in at the airport.
'The attempt to smuggle the ammunition was revealed after security officers carried out an X-ray examination of the suspect's belongings. We found there was ammunition sealed with black tape packed in the bags he brought,' said Pudjo.
TW attempted to evade arrest, but police managed to apprehend him at a location near the Sentani community health center, around 200 meters away from the airport.
'It is suspected that the attempt to smuggle the ammunition was related to the activities of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) separatist organization [led by Maikel Merani] in Lanny Jaya regency,' said Pudjo.
The ammunition confiscated consisted of 112 5.56-calibre bullets, 20 .56-calibre bullet casings, 13 9-calibre bullets and a single 7.6-calibre cartridge. The police also seized one combat weapon and one Nokia mobile phone.
Pudjo said TW was being held in custody in the Jayapura Police headquarters in Sentani.
Earlier, the Papua Police managed to confiscate dozens of home-made weapons and rounds of ammunition during a raid on the OPM's headquarters by the coastal highway on the north side of Yapen Island, Papua, on Saturday.
'As many as 20 rounds of Mauser ammunition, five home-made weapons, one motorcycle and striped uniforms were confiscated during the raid,' said Pudjo.
'This separatist group has disrupted the security of the Angkaisera people and they [the Angkaisera] are thankful for the raid,' said Pudjo, adding that all OPM members managed to escape arrest during the raid, which had been led by Yapen Islands Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Gatot Susetya. (ebf)(+++)
