Southwest Papua Police Hunt 19 Wanted Persons in Tambrauw Murder

Tambrauw: The Southwest Papua Police are intensifying their search for 19 suspects on the wanted list in connection with murder and arson cases in Tambrauw Regency.

Currently, the Southwest Papua Police, along with the Tambrauw Police, are handling at least three reports related to a series of arson cases in 2024 and violence leading to murder in March 2026.

"For the incident on March 8, 2026, five individuals have been designated as DPOs with the initials DY, SY, AY, YY, and DY," said the Director of General Criminal Investigation of the Southwest Papua Police, Senior Commissioner Junov Siregar, in Aimas, Sorong Regency, on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, as reported by Antara.

In addition, the police are also handling the arson case of the Bamusbama District Office on December 2, 2024, with eight individuals on the wanted list. Meanwhile, there are 10 suspects in the murder of two civilians on March 16, 2026, but four have surrendered, and the rest remain at large.

"This brings the total number of suspects currently being sought by the police to 19," he explained.

He explained that the number of perpetrators on the wanted list could potentially increase as the investigation progresses with the suspects already detained. Junov appealed to the families and relatives of the suspects to assist in providing information regarding the whereabouts of the fugitives.

He added that the perpetrators are suspected of being affiliated with an armed criminal group (KKB) that initially targeted security forces, but instead targeted civilians. In handling this case, the police are involving various parties, including local governments, community leaders, the House of Representatives (DPR), and the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), to expedite the investigation.

"All of these suspects must be rounded up first to facilitate the case handling process," he said.