Indonesian police respond to large anti-racism protests, Jayapura, 19 August 2019 Photo: Whens Tebay
Indonesian police in West Papua claim to have thwarted an underground arms syndicate in the region.
The Antara news agency reports that the ammunition was smuggled from the Philippines and destined for North Sulawesi and Sorong in West Papua.
Three people, including two in West Papua, have been arrested.
According to police, it's not the first arms trafficking syndicate operating in Papua.
Police in Papua are poised to crack down on the trade in illegal weapons which is linked to ongoing conflict in the highlands regencies.
In the past two years, Nduga and more recently Intan Jaya have been the focus of deadly exchanges between the West Papua Liberation Army and Indonesian security forces.
