Cartenz Peace Task Force Pursues Seven KKB Suspects in AMA Pilot Shooting

The Cartenz Peace Operations Task Force is pursuing seven members of an armed criminal group (KKB) who have been named as suspects in the shooting of pilot Nicholas Goselin and the burning of an AMA aircraft in Balinggama, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Pegunungan. The seven suspects, identified by their initials as MB, AB, LS, DA, NS, KB, and SP, have been placed on the wanted list. “The 2026 Cartenz Peace Operations Task Force continues to pursue and coordinate with all units to apprehend them,” said Senior Commissioner IGG Era Adhinata, Head of the Cartenz Peace Operations Law Enforcement Task Force, in Jayapura on Wednesday. Based on the evidence collected, the suspects are believed to have jointly committed the murder of the American pilot and set fire to the civilian aircraft, disrupting aviation safety. The group is estimated to consist of around 15 individuals armed with long-barrelled firearms, short-barrelled firearms, and homemade weapons. Investigators are also continuing to probe the group’s network, movement patterns, and sources of weaponry. The suspects are charged primarily under Article 459 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 20, and subsidiarily under Article 458 in conjunction with Article 20, and/or Article 586 in conjunction with Article 20, concerning murder and/or acts endangering aviation safety, which carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. During the crime scene investigation, officers secured the area, examined the aircraft damage, inspected the location where the victim was found, and collected evidence. The investigation revealed that the Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter aircraft, registration PK-RCY, sustained 90 percent damage from the fire, with the central fuselage being the most severely affected. The aircraft was found still facing the runway, while the body of pilot Nicholas had been evacuated on Friday (3/7) to Timika and subsequently to Jayapura. Evidence secured from the scene included the charred wreckage of the aircraft, ash and charcoal residue, fragments of the aircraft body, pieces of tyre wire, a 5.56 mm bullet casing, and soil samples for forensic laboratory examination. Following the crime scene investigation, the team conducted a sweep of the surrounding area and discovered a honai suspected of being used as a KKB base, marked with a sign reading “Komando Daerah Militer TPNPB Kodap VII Balinggama.” Items seized from this location included a noken, a scarf with a Morning Star motif, military-style clothing, a belt, a bayonet with its sheath, two machetes, an air rifle, a mobile phone, and a sling bag containing documents and TPNPB membership cards. All evidence has been handed over to the Papua Regional Police’s Criminal Investigation Directorate identification team for forensic laboratory examination, digital forensics, and further analysis to support the investigation.