The smuggling of goods through the PNG-Indonesian waters "is on the rise", according to Chief of the Lantamal X's Patrol Ship Division Colonel Dedy Obet in his press statement here Wednesday.
To address the threat, Obet said his division has expanded the scope of routine maritime patrols and deployed quick-response teams to cover a wider area.
“These patrols are also focused on preventing the smuggling of marijuana from PNG into Jayapura, which poses a serious threat to our young generation,” Obet stated.
He also urged local communities to join the fight against drugs by assisting the Navy in protecting Papua's waters from cross-border trafficking.
“Drugs can destroy the future of young Papuans. So let us fight against illicit drugs together,” he emphasized.
The Indonesia-PNG border has long been vulnerable to cross-border criminal activity, particularly drug trafficking.
On May 9, 2024, for instance, the Indonesian Navy’s quick-response team thwarted an attempt by six drug traffickers to smuggle 13.43 kilograms of dried marijuana from PNG into Papua.
Earlier, on March 21, 2024, at around 2:15 a.m. local time, Papua police arrested two PNG citizens for allegedly smuggling 51 packages of marijuana into Jayapura. The suspects, identified as Junior Lenga and Rindox, had hidden the drugs inside four sacks of rice.
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Translator: Qadri P, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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