Jayapura Resident Shot in Leg

The use of firearms in Papua is increasingly concerning. Recently, a local resident was shot in the thigh by a group of unknown individuals in Jayapura. Police are currently investigating the motive behind the shooting.

KOMPAS/FABIO MARIA LOPES COSTA

Prianus Mulogol, a local resident who was shot by an unknown person in the left leg in Jayapura City, Papua, Tuesday (9/5/2023) early morning.

JAYAPURA, KOMPAS — A local resident, Prianus Mulogol (32), was shot by unknown individuals in the early morning on Tuesday (9/5/2023) in Tanah Hitam, Abepura district, Jayapura city, Papua. Prianus was injured in his left thigh.

Abepura Police chief Adj. Comr. Soeparmanto confirmed during an interview in Jayapura that Prianus was shot at around 4 a.m. local time.

Soeparmanto said three individuals were involved in the shooting incident, and that one perpetrator fired three shots at Prianus using a short-barreled firearm.

According to Soeparmanto's preliminary examination, the victim was approached by the three individuals as he parked his motorcycle at a repair shop next to Adhome Hotel to use the toilet.

The perpetrators demanded that Prianus hand over his motorcycle key, but he refused and ran away from them.

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"The perpetrators chased the victim, who ran from in front of Adhome Hotel to the front of Bank Mandiri in the Tanah Hitam area. One of the perpetrators fired a shot and hit the victim in the left thigh," Soeparmanto said.

He added that police were investigating the perpetrators’ identities. A team of investigators from the Abepura Police and Jayapura Resort Police were currently investigating the crime scene.

"According to the preliminary results of the crime scene investigation, investigators found a bullet shell and a projectile in the area around Bank Mandiri. The perpetrators’ motive is still unknown," he said.

KOMPAS/FABIO MARIA LOPES COSTA

A police found a bullet projectile in the shooting case of a resident named Prianus Mulogol in Jayapura City, Papua, Tuesday (9/5/2023).

During an interview, Prianus expressed shock over the incident, saying that such cases rarely happened in Jayapura. He explained that at the time of the incident, he was on his way to Koya in Muara Tami district to clear his land for farming.

Prianus said the perpetrators used a wooden stick and firearms to try and force him to give up his motorcycle key. "They chased me and fired a shot that hit my thigh. I kept running until I was eventually rescued by several residents near the scene," he said.

Police have not yet determined the motive behind the shooting, whether it was simply a criminal act or part of a terror campaign against civilians by an armed criminal group.

They chased me and fired a shot that hit my thigh.

Proliferation of weapons

The case highlights a serious issue in terms the proliferation of firearms and ammunition in Papua. The Alliance of Democracy for Papua (ALDP) revealed how easy it was to sell firearms and ammunition in Papua. This was based on the organization's investigation into illegal firearms and ammunition sales in Papua over the last decade.

ALDP director Latifah Anum Siregar revealed that there were four networks involved in the illegal firearms and ammunition trade, including networks within the Free Papua Movement (OPM), networks between rogue personnel of the Indonesian Military (TNI), the National Police (Polri) and the OPM, rogue military and police personnel and civilians, as well as civilian networks.

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All four networks used three routes. The first route was a forest trail and a road on the outskirts of the city. This route was used by the OPM. The second route was by sea and rivers. The OPM used small boats from local piers, while civilians and rogue TNI-Polri personnel used motorboats from the main ports.

The third route was by air. This route was generally used by rogue TNI-Polri personnel who had permits to carry firearms and ammunition onboard aircraft.

This article was translated by Tenggara Strategics.