14-4-2024 (JAKARTA) The border security task force between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) has escalated efforts to curb cross-border smuggling of prohibited goods from PNG into the Indonesian province of Papua, an army officer revealed.
At the Sawiyatami military post in Mannem Subdistrict, Keerom District, personnel stationed there have been instructed to halt every vehicle passing through the Trans-Papua highway’s Sawiyatami section for thorough inspections.
“We meticulously examine every car and motorcycle passing through the military post,” stated Second Sergeant Rahmat Andika Sitorus, the commandant of the Sawiyatami military post, emphasizing the importance of the security checks. Additionally, drivers and motorists’ identities are verified, and reminders about safe driving practices are given. Any suspicious cargo is subjected to thorough examination.
These security measures aim to prevent the smuggling of prohibited goods and the infiltration of individuals that could disrupt the peaceful livelihoods of Sawiyatami Village residents, added Sitorus.
The vulnerability of the Indonesia-PNG border to cross-border criminal activities, including marijuana trafficking, has been a longstanding concern. In a recent incident on March 21, 2024, Papua police arrested two PNG citizens in Jayapura City for smuggling 51 packages of marijuana into Papua. The suspects were apprehended with the illicit cargo hidden in sacks of rice.
One of the suspects, Junior Lenga, had previously escaped from the Abepura Penitentiary while serving a sentence related to drug smuggling, highlighting the recurring nature of such crimes.
Similarly, in March 2021, PNG citizen Gadafi Kuentaw Waropo was arrested in Jayapura City for his alleged involvement in a cross-border drug trafficking network. Police seized five sacks of marijuana from Waropo following the arrest of another individual connected to the operation.
Recognizing the transnational nature of drug trafficking, PNG Police in West Sepik Province have sought collaboration with their Indonesian counterparts in Papua to combat such criminal activities.
