Residents In Manokwari Buy 3 Organic Guns Rp200 Million For Marriage Mahar

Manokwari Police Chief Kombes Rivadin Benny Simangunsong (center) and his staff showed three types of organic firearms confiscated from civilians in Manokwari/DOK ANTARA

MANOKWARI - Manokwari City Police (Polresta), West Papua, succeeded in uncovering the ownership of three types of organic long-barreled firearms without permission by civilians in the local area. The three weapons seized by the police were Mauser, M-16, and AK-47. Manokwari Police Chief Kombes Rivadin Benny Simangunsong said three firearms were bought by residents with the initials HM for a total price of approximately Rp. 200 million to be used as wedding dowry. HM bought three types of organic firearms from the suspect who has now been arrested by the Maluku Police for the crime of smuggling firearms into Papua. "HM's status as a witness and cooperatively hand over firearms. We apply him (HM) must report while waiting for the results of the examination at the Maluku Regional Police," said Rivadin Simangunsong in Manokwari, Antara, Thursday, June 20. The Manokwari Police Special Team, he said, is still developing the case because there are a number of firearms resulting from smuggling circulating in the community. The number of organic and homemade firearms that have been confiscated by the Manokwari Police from civilians is 36 pieces consisting of two short-barreled, and 34 long-barreled. "This case is of concern because it has the potential to disrupt security and threaten the safety of other people's lives," said Benny. He appealed to all components of the community in Manokwari to immediately hand over firearms, both organic and assembled, without permission, for violating Article 1 paragraph (1) of the Emergency Law Number 12 of 1952. The special police team also applies a persuasive approach pattern so that the public realizes that they will then hand over firearms that are still being used in several areas as dowry in the wedding traditional procession. "Marriage has nothing to do with weapons. Now is not the time for a new weapon to be married," said Benny. Head of the Manokwari Police Criminal Investigation Unit AKP D Raja Putra Napitupulu explained that his party together with the West Papua Police Criminal Investigation Directorate continued to coordinate with the Maluku Police to uncover the firearms that had been smuggled by the perpetrators. The firearms have been sold to several people in the jurisdiction of the Manokwari Police without using an intermediary since early 2024, so the police intensified the search.

"We have synchronized the information of the perpetrators of the arms smuggling with information from the witness who bought it," said Napitupulu.