Port security foils smuggling of arms, munitions

Port security foils smuggling of arms, munitions

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Buli port security in East Halmahera,
North Maluku, confiscated on Friday hundreds of M-16 rounds,
rifles and explosives while the items were being unloaded from
passenger ship KM Albatim.

Aside from the ammunition and firearms, the officers also
found 12 grams of shabu shabu (crystal methamphetamine) in one of
the ship's compartments.

Buli port security suspected that the ammunitions and
explosives had come from Bitung in North Sulawesi, the port of
departure of the KM Albatim.

Security authorities transferred the ship's six crew to the
Maba police subprecinct where they will be detained for further
questioning.

Central Halmahera Police Precinct chief Supt. M. Luhulima
confirmed the smuggling attempt, but declined to comment further.

"We have not received complete reports from the Maba Police
subprecinct and the evidence has not yet been transferred from
the port authority to the police," he said.

Luhulima said the smuggling attempt had raised public concern
as residents in North Maluku, which comprises Muslims and
Christians, have pledged not to be provoked by rampant community
conflicts that had have hit several parts of the province.

Separately, Maba district chief Umar Halim said port security
managed to prevent the smuggling attempt after receiving a tip-
off from residents in Bitung and Buli, Antara reported.

"Residents of Bitung and Buli alerted Buli port security
personnel, who are responsible for the safety of loading and
unloading activities of ships' cargoes," he said.

Separately, North Maluku Governor Muhyi Effendi urged the
public not to make or keep firearms, while instructing those in
possession of any firearms to hand them over to the authorities.

In a related development, Maluku Police Chief Brig. Gen.
Firman Gani rejected on Friday calls for United Nations (UN)
intervention in the area, which had been requested by Christians
in the troubled province.

"The presence of a UN peacekeeping force here would be
considered as intervention," he said.

Such intervention, he said, would not guarantee the resolution
of the community conflicts and might create a new problem. He did
not elaborate.

Firman stressed the need to hold peaceful dialogs between the
conflicting parties to settle the problems.

He also proposed the deployment of civilian police from the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"The Indonesian Police has Interpol network connections
worldwide, which will help the establishment of such security
assistance," he said.

However, he added, the idea must be reviewed with the National
Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) headquarters and secure
the approval of President Abdurrahman Wahid.

Separately, coordinator of the Maluku churches' team of
lawyers, Semy Waileruni, welcomed the plan to hold such dialogs
and urged the security authorities to first restore peace in the
area.

"The security authorities have to stop all forms of violence
before holding the peace talks between the warring groups," he
said, while adding that the conflicting parties should respect
the proposed dialogs.

"How can we hold a peaceful dialog if one party is aggressive
and the other is defensive," Waileruni said.

Earlier in the morning, 100 protesters of the Maluku Islamic
Defenders Front (FPI) staged a protest in front of the Governor's
office in Ambon, demanding that the emergency leaders sack Ambon
Security Restoration Commander Col. (Inf.) A. Siswanto, saying
that his actions always caused losses for Muslim residents.

The protesters also demanded a thorough investigation into the
Tanjung Oum shooting, in Saparua Island, Central Maluku on Sept.
17, which claimed two fatalities and injured five people.

Governor Saleh Latuconsina made no comment before leaving.

In a related development, the situation at predominantly
Christian Urimessing and Pohon Pule areas in Sirimau district,
Ambon, was tense on Friday when four homemade bombs exploded on
the district's main street.

Hundreds of angry men crowded the area and fired sporadic
shots at residents. Security personnel were later deployed to the
areas and managed to disperse the crowds. No fatalities were
reported in the incident. (49/lup)