Police arrest alleged murderers

WAMENA, Irian Jaya: Police here have arrested five people suspected of killing a local villager on Jan. 22.

The murder led to rioting and looting on Jan. 26.

Jayawijaya police chief Lt. Col. Ipong Soepomo said the alleged killers of Patra Wanimbo, 27, were from Lokasi Tiga village, Antara reported yesterday

Ipong said the killers dumped Wanimbo's body in front of Jayawijaya prison on the Wamena-Jayapura highway in the hope that it would confuse the police about the motive behind the murder.

Villagers went on a rampage, damaging a police dormitory and looting 15 local shops in Wamena's Nayak market on Jan. 26 on rumors that Wanimbo was killed by the police, the news agency said.

Ipong said the police had arrested five of the suspects and three others, whose identities are already known to the police, were being chased. The five are under intensive interrogation, he added. (aan)