Jayapura, Jubi – The Yahukimo Police on Tuesday met with several community leaders to explain about the apprehension of 22 people during a raid at the Obio Complex in Dekai District, the capital of Yahukimo Regency, Mountainous Papua Province.
Lazarus Giban, the deputy chief of the Ngalik Tribe, raised doubts about the grounds for the arrest of the 22 individuals. He questioned the extent of their involvement in criminal activities in Yahukimo. “Are these 22 residents actually connected to crimes in Yahukimo?” he said.
Similar concerns were also expressed by Leo Giban, the coordinator of the Ngalik, Hubla, and Intan Maya Tribes. He emphasized the importance of verifying whether the 22 people arrested were truly members of the Ngalik community.
Responding to these questions, Yahukimo Police head of Operations Adj. Comr. Alwi Wairooy explained that the house in the Obio Complex was raided on Tuesday morning because it was suspected of being the headquarters of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). According to him, the raid was the result of the development of an investigation into a murder case that occurred in Yahukimo Regency.
Head of Operations of Yahukimo Police Adj. Comr. Alwi Wairooy addressed the concerns raised by the community leaders by explaining that the reason for the house raid at the Obio Complex was due to suspicions that it served as the headquarters for the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB). He said that the raid was part of an investigation into a murder case that happened in Yahukimo Regency.
Wairooy assured that the arrests conducted by the joint team of Yahukimo Police and the Cartenz Peace Task Force were not made carelessly and that the legal process would be carried out properly and fairly. He emphasized that those proven innocent would be released immediately, while those found guilty would be processed according to the law.
He then invited community leaders to support and respect the legal process. He hoped that the meeting would improve understanding and create effective cooperation between the police and the community in maintaining security and resolving crime cases in Yahukimo. (*)
