West Sepik man released from Indonesian jail after four years

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
A WEST Sepik man convicted of smuggling K20,000 worth of marijuana into Indonesia has been deported to Papua New Guinea after being released from an Indonesian prison, Indonesian-based PNG consul-general Colonel Geoffrey Wiri says.
He said yesterday that Joey Monipa, from Laitre village in Aitape, was released from Doyo Narcotics Prison in Sentani last week after serving four years
“He’s now back in West Sepik,” Wiri said.
Monipa and his co-accused were caught on Aug 22, 2015, at the Indonesian border village of Skopro by Indonesian immigration officers at the PNG-Indonesian border in Keroom district.
They were caught with 10kg rice bag containing 30 small plastic bags, each packed with dried marijuana with a total weight of about 400 grams, worth 70 million rupiahs (K20,000) on the street.
A source said Monipa, after being released from jail, was detained by Indonesian Immigration for another two weeks.
“After been released from custody, he was then escorted by immigration officers to the border and handed over to Papua New Guinea border authorities,” the source said.
“His co-accused Ronald Akuwere, from Arob village in Aitape, is in Bolangi Narcotics Prison in Markasar, Sulawesi Province” and was expected to be released yesterday.
Akuwere and seven other Papua New Guinea prisoners were sent to Bolangi Prison in Sept last year after a mass breakout at Doyo prison in which 11 Papua New Guinea prisoners escaped and believed to be back home in PNG.