Police hunt 19 suspects in Tambrauw murder and arson case

Aimas (ANTARA) - The Southwest Papua Regional Police are intensifying the pursuit of 19 individuals listed as wanted persons (DPOs) in connection with the murder and arson case in Tambrauw Regency.

Director of General Criminal Investigation at the Southwest Papua Regional Police, Commissioner General of Police Junov Siregar, in Aimas, Sorong Regency, on Tuesday, stated that his team, along with the Tambrauw Police Resort, is currently handling at least three police reports related to a series of arson incidents in 2024 and violence leading to murders in March 2026.

“For the incident on 8 March 2026, five individuals have been designated as DPOs with the initials DY, SY, AY, YY, and DY,” he said.

Additionally, the police are handling the arson of the Bamusbama District Office on 2 December 2024, involving eight DPOs.

Meanwhile, the murder of two civilians on 16 March 2026 involves 10 suspects, of whom four have surrendered, with the remainder still at large.

“Thus, the total number of suspects currently being pursued by the police is 19,” he said.

He explained that the number of perpetrators on the wanted list could potentially increase depending on the developments from examinations of the suspects already in custody.

“It is not impossible that the number of perpetrators will increase, depending on the results of further examinations,” he said.

He added that the perpetrators are suspected of being influenced by the Armed Criminal Group (KKB), with initial targets being security apparatus, but in execution, they attacked civilians.

“In the 8 March 2026 incident, the victims were civilians,” he said.

In handling these cases, the police are involving various parties, including the local government, community leaders, the DPR, and the TNI, to accelerate the resolution of the cases.

According to Junov, such collaborative steps are crucial to ensure that all perpetrators are swiftly apprehended and processed in accordance with applicable law.

“All these suspects must be gathered first to facilitate the case handling process,” he said.

The Southwest Papua Regional Police are committed to resolving all violence cases in the Tambrauw area to maintain security and public order.