We have reported the information to the Indonesian Consulate in Vanimo of PNG."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Police has investigated the cross-border marijuana barter trade with weapons that occurred at the border of Papua and Papua New Guinea (PNG).

"We believe that many perpetrators have bartered the marijuana grown in PNG with weapons or other agreed necessities from Indonesia," Drugs Mitigation Director in Papua Regional Police Senior Commissioner Tornagogo Sihombing claimed here on Thursday.

Tornagogo made the remark following the arrest of three Jayapura citizens who owned 7.2 kilograms of marijuana.

The police have also seized a homemade weapon and 96 munitions of 7.62 mm from the suspects.

The suspects admitted that they had procured the weapon and munitions from Ambon city, which is probably a leftover weapon from the past conflict in the region.

Tornagogo reported that the PNG people used the weapons to protect themselves from the other armed groups in the country.

The police have not yet arrested the marijuana supplier with the initial R from PNG as the suspect only delivers marijuana to the Indonesia-PNG border.

The police have also identified a PNG citizen who worked as a marijuana courier.

"We have reported the information to the Indonesian Consulate in Vanimo of PNG," he added.

The Papuan Police had earlier arrested three persons suspected of operating a drug network in Papua on Friday.

The suspects and evidences are still in police custody.
(Uu.B019/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2014