Police examine hundreds of bullets, two guns and several pipe-bombs after raiding the homes of local residents in Sentani, Jayapura regency, Papua on Wednesday evening
span class="caption">Police examine hundreds of bullets, two guns and several pipe-bombs after raiding the homes of local residents in Sentani, Jayapura regency, Papua on Wednesday evening. Jayapura Police suspect the bullets and the guns belonged to a separatist group in Indonesia's eastern most province. (Kompas.com/Jayapura Police file)
The Free Papua Movement (OPM) has denied that hundreds of rounds of ammunition, firearms and explosives confiscated by police during a raid on Wednesday night belonged to the organization, and have accused the authorities of staging the arms find.
OPM spokesman Saul J. Bomay said the OPM did not have the funds to purchase such an amount of weaponry.
"The raid was set up by the security forces to increase tension in Papua ," he told kompas.com on Thursday.
Officers from the Papua Police and Jayapura Police raided two houses in Pos VII and Doyo Baru in Sentani in Jayapura regency on Wednesday at 7:20 p.m. The owners of the properties have been identified as Werius Enumbi, 32, Dorce Enumbi, 48, and Simson Tabun, 31.
They are currently being questioned at Jayapura Police precinct.
In the raids police seized 241 rounds of ammunition, two firearms and a replica gun, four pipe-bombs, a flag of the West Papua National Committee, a laptop and a mobile phone, kompas.com reported.
OPM secretary general Anthon Tabuni claimed that the Indonesian Military (TNI) had staged many incidents purportedly involving the OPM, citing 10 Puncak Jaya residents described as OPM members who were reported to have surrendered to authorities last week.
Local media reported earlier this month that 10 former members of the OPM/National Liberation Army surrendered to the authorities and had requested amnesty from the government because they had grown weary of fighting.
Jayapura Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sondang Siagian said the raids were a follow-up to case of illegal firearms possession by a college student named Roberth Sambon on Feb. 2. (rin)(+)
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