ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Indonesia has been rocked by revelations that two Australian citizens have been charged with supplying firearms and military equipment to the separatist group, the Free Papua Movement (OPM).
Member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), TB Hasanuddin, urged the government to immediately take diplomatic measures and strengthen security coordination to address this serious threat.
“The Indonesian Embassy in Canberra must urgently gather detailed information on the legal proceedings of these two Australians. Information exchange is crucial to uncover the networks and methods used in this arms smuggling operation to OPM,” TB Hasanuddin said on Monday, September 15, 2025.
The arrests were carried out by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in cooperation with Queensland Police on Saturday, September 13, 2025. According to AFP, the case is an extension of a two-year investigation into the 2023 abduction of Susi Air pilot Phillip Mehrtens, who was held hostage in Papua for 592 days before being released in September 2024.
The two suspects, aged 64 and 44, were arrested in New South Wales and Queensland. They have been charged with illegal arms trafficking to a paramilitary group based in Indonesia, an offense carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
In response, TB Hasanuddin called on the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to be more proactive in leveraging the close law enforcement cooperation already established with Australia.
“The Indonesia–Australia policing agreement must be fully optimized, especially in sharing intelligence on the networks behind these arms smuggling operations,” he emphasized.
The senior legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) also stressed the need to tighten border surveillance across land, sea, and air.
“The Ministry of Immigration, the Directorate General of Customs, and military patrols at the frontline must heighten vigilance. Not only land and sea patrols but also air patrols are needed to prevent future smuggling attempts,” he concluded. (AT Network)
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