Soldiers seize marijuana

By Clifford Faiparik
A suspected Papua New Guinean drug smuggler escaped from Indonesian soldiers and left 50kg of marijuana along the PNG-Indonesian border, Vanimo based Indonesian consul-general Abraham Abelauw says.
Abelauw, who is based in West Sepik, denied that Indonesian soldiers crossed the border into Imonda, West Sepik, and uprooted 50kg of marijuana plants and took them to the Indonesian border village of Waris.
Abelauw said Indonesian intelligence officers had been tipped off that the drug smuggler from Imonda in Bewani district would come to Waris with a substantial amount of marijuana last week.
“The Indonesian soldiers waited for him at Waris and when he was spotted, Indonesian soldiers attempted to arrest the alleged offender,” he said.
“The smuggler got away but the Indonesian soldiers seized the 50kg of marijuana.” Jayapura-based PNG consul-general Col Geofrey Wiri claimed that Waris villages told him that two Indonesian soldiers went on motorcyle into Imonda and uprooted 50kg of marijuana plants and took them back across the border.