inp.polri.go.id - Oksibil. The joint personnel of Damai Cartenz Operation 2026 and Bintang Mountains Sub-regional Police successfully apprehended two fugitives with one of them a prominent member of XXXV Bintang Timur Armed Criminal Group with the initials of EK (22) and RS (23) in Oksibil District.
E.K. has been on the wanted list since December 2022 in connection with the murder of three motorcycle taxi drivers that occurred on December 5, 2022, in Mangabib Village, Oksebang District. The incident was recorded in Police Report Number: LP/B/31/XII/2022/Papua/Res Pegunungan Bintang.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Public Relations Task Force for Damai Cartenz Operation 2026, Senior Superintendent Yusuf Sutejo, during a media interview on the afternoon of April 20, explained that the arrest was the result of a well-measured joint operation.
"On Sunday, April 19, 2026, at approximately 8:45 PM, joint personnel from Damai Cartenz Operation Task Force and Bintang Mountains Sub-regional Police conducted an operation on Jalan Kabiding, Oksibil District, and successfully apprehended the two perpetrators without significant resistance," he explained.
In addition to the murder case, E.K. was also recorded as being involved in several other acts of violence, including shootings and arson attacks on public facilities that occurred consecutively on January 7, 9, 11, 12, and 14, 2023, in Serambakon District. He is also strongly suspected of taking part in the attack on the Rajawali Task Force Post in Mimin Village, Oksop District, on May 27, 2025.
Meanwhile, R.S., who was arrested along with E.K., is also suspected of being involved in the attack on the Rajawali Task Force Post at the same location and time. According to police records, R.S. is a former convict in a cell phone theft case that occurred on September 7, 2020, on Yapimakot street, Bintang Mountains, and has served a two-year prison sentence based on a court ruling on January 26, 2021.
Yusuf Sutejo added that both perpetrators played roles in the armed group's network.
"One of the perpetrators was a fugitive in a murder case and is known to be part of XXXV Bintang Timur Armed Criminal Group, while the other perpetrator was an associate involved in the group's activities, including the attack on officers," he said.
The Head of Damai Cartenz Operation 2026, Inspector General Faizal Ramadhani, emphasized that this arrest demonstrates the authorities' commitment to enforcing the law against armed groups.
"The arrest of a fugitive demonstrates our commitment to maintaining security and protecting the public. We will deal with any perpetrators of armed crime in a professional and measured manner," he said.
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