JAYAPURA. The Papua Police have arrested who they say is the main actor in the theft of three short-barreled rifles belonging to three Indonesian Air Force officers from the fourth squadron. The rifles were reported to have been stolen from the officers when they visited a bathing site at Mount Cycloop in Jayapura, Papua, on Nov.15.

“Six people were involved in theft of the rifles but there was only one main actor, who was taken into custody by the Papua Police,” the police’s spokesman, Sr. Comr. Pudjo Sulistyo, said in Jayapura on Tuesday.

He said the police had arrested the alleged perpetrator on Tuesday after they traced the five other perpetrators, one of whom was using the officer’s cell phone that was stolen together with the rifles.

Pudjo said Peni Gombo stole the rifles when the three officers were at the Mt. Cycloop tourism site.

Pudjo said the officers put down their bags to take pictures, and the bags were stolen by Gombo when he happened to pass by. The bags consisted of three short-barreled rifles, eight cell phones and Rp 15 million (US$1,215.6) in cash.

The suspect later returned to his home at the Bhayangkara housing complex in Jayapura after which he gave the cell phones to their relatives and spent the money. He then hid the rifles at the Pos 7 plantation area in Sentani, Jayapura.

“The six suspects are detained at the Papua Police headquarters for the legal process,” said Pudjo. (Nethy Dharma Somba)

Editor: Yudho Winarto