By Quinton Alomp, EM TV – Port Moresby
Seventeen Papua New Guineans have been arrested for smuggling marijuana into Jayapura.
As the world’s attention is on Indonesia for the possible death penalty execution of two Australians charged with smuggling marijuana, the 17 PNG nationals are likely to face similar sentences under Indonesia’s strict laws on drug trafficking offences.
They are now behind bars at the Sentani prison in Indonesia’s Jayapura, after being caught smuggling marijuana into the province.
The Indonesian consul in Vanimo, Sandaun Province has informed the Provincial Police Commander, Superintendent Robert Gesa, that the 17 will not be released back to PNG.
PPC Gesa said one of the suspects’ is known to police, and is a second time offender who escaped from the same prison earlier on, charged for smuggling 20 kilograms of marijuana.
The Sandaun PPC will visit Sentani prison next week to collect statements from the 17 suspects for investigation purposes.
Indonesia’s constitution is still hard on drug smugglers.
Meanwhile, 13 other drug smugglers, believed to be on the same route to Jayapura, through the PNG-Indonesian border, were caught by Vanimo police and locked up at Vanimo police cell.
With the market for marijuana trading being big in Jayapura, there are many cases for drug trafficking.
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