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)