As a result of their increasing acts of lethal violence, six people, including the Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel, died, Papua Police Chief Inspector General Paulus Waterpauw was quoted by ANTARA as saying here on Saturday.
The armed criminals not only attacked civilians and security personnel but also set ablaze several excavators and kiosks, he noted.
In the past, the criminal groups just passed by Intan Jaya's areas en route to several mountainous areas, including those in Tembagapura Sub-district, Mimika District. However, currently, they had made the district their base, he pointed out.
Waterpauw further unveiled that six armed criminal groups were actively operating in Intan Jaya’s areas, including Hipadipa Sub-district. They were led by Sebinus Waker and reportedly possessed 17 rifles.
They snatched the weapons during raids against TNI and police personnel, including a steyr rifle that they had grabbed in 2015, he pointed out.
The lack of good infrastructure facilities and mountainous terrain in the district had made it easier for them to escape, but the security personnel have persistently striven to enforce the law against them to end their acts of violence, he stated.
Meanwhile, under the security personnel's efforts to crack down on the notorious armed criminals, a high-ranking police officer confirmed earlier that no additional policemen were deployed from Mimika to Intan Jaya.
"I insist there is no deployment of additional police officers from Timika," Mimika Police Chief Adjunct Sen. Coms. IGG Era Adhinata notified local journalists in Timika, the capital of Mimika District, Papua Province, on Sept 24.
Adhinata remarked that several armed criminal groups that had operated in the Tembagapura Sub-district area in Mimika District returned to their areas of origin in the districts of Intan Jaya, Puncak, and Puncak Jaya.
"The armed criminal groups from Ilaga in Puncak District have moved from Tembagapura. Of course, they pass by the areas of Intan Jaya District, including the Yambi group, which is led by the Lekagak Telenggen and Murib military group," he remarked.
The armed criminals, led by Sabinus Waker, had also moved from Tembagapura Sub-district to the areas of Intan Jaya District. Currently, those still operating in the Tembagapura Sub-district areas might be the group of Kali Kopi or Timika, led by Joni Botak, he revealed. Related news: Jelek Waker-led armed group masterminded shooting of priest: police
Related news: Armed civilians tortures, kills two in Papua's Sugapa district
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Evarukdijati, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
