North Sulawesi Police Arrest "The Brain Of The Perpetrator" Of The Smuggling Of Illegal Weapons From The Philippines

The North Sulawesi (Sulut) Regional Police have arrested another suspect with the initials RM who is the mastermind behind the smuggling of illegal firearms from the Philippines to Indonesia, especially in North Sulawesi which was revealed in 2022.

"The handling of this case was carried out by the North Minahasa Police (Minut) and the North Sulawesi Police based on police reports number 380, dated May 15, 2022," said Head of Public Relations of the North Sulawesi Police, Kombes Pol Michael Irwan Thamsil, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, March 7.

The suspect, RM, a resident of Sangihe Islands Regency, was picked up in Davao, Philippines, by a joint team from the North Sulawesi Regional Police and the North Minat Police.

"In this case, a total of five suspects. Four suspects have been convicted and some have been released. Only the suspect RM has not yet served his sentence," he said.

He added that the RM suspect was picked up through a'red notice' which was submitted to the National Police Divhubinter some time earlier.

"So the RM suspect pick-up process went well," he said.

Dirreskrimum Polda Sulut Gani Siahaan mengatakan, RM ini adalah pengembangan dari kasus sebelumnya yang sudah ditangani pada tahun 2022 yang sudah mengamankan empat orang tersangka dan sudah diputuskan.

"RM is the person who carried the weapon by crossing from General Santos, Philippines to the Sangihe Islands Regency, North Sulawesi," said Gani.

RM, he continued, could be said to be the 'brain' of the illegal firearm smuggling.

"Some time before, we coordinated with the Divhubinter Polri and the Police Attache in Manila and Davao. Finally, we managed to bring the suspect RM to Indonesia as a "brain" for the firearm smuggling," he said.

He said RM in the Philippines was included as illegal entry or entry to a country without official permission so that it was sanctioned by the Philippine Immigration.

"Then there was a notification that RM was included in the red notice that we had conveyed to the National Police Divhubinter. After undergoing sanctions in the Philippines, the joint team left for Manila and Davao to bring RM to Indonesia, to be prosecuted in the case of smuggling firearms," he said.

He said the suspect RM received an order to purchase firearms from RB.

RB is a prisoner in the same case, who has been arrested in Manokwari, Papua.

RB ordered RM for the purchase of firearms, then sent around Rp. 70 million, which RM received directly.

"So RM received Rp70 million. Then Rp20 million was left to his wife, Rp50 million was brought by RM to buy the weapon, and as a result, we have secured eight pieces," he said.

He said for the type of weapon, it was written in the weapon UZI 9mm.

"But we have 'cross check' to the manufacturers, factories that make UZI weapons, we coordinate and communicate, there is no such type of weapon. So it is suspected that it is a local manufacturer assembled in Mindanao," he said.

The suspect is subject to Article 1 (1) of the Emergency Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 12 of 1951 Juncto Article 55 (1) 1e of the Criminal Code.

"With the threat of the death penalty or life imprisonment or a maximum imprisonment of 20 years," said Gani.