Headline:
Fatal Police Chase: Officer Swept Away in Papua Barat River While Pursuing Armed Criminal Group
Subhead:
Iptu Tomi S Marbun, a police officer from Teluk Bintuni, drowned in the Rawara River while chasing a notorious KKB leader in Papua Barat.
Article:
In a tragic turn of events, a police officer from Papua Barat’s Teluk Bintuni district has lost his life while pursuing a member of a notorious armed criminal group (KKB). Iptu Tomi S Marbun, a chief inspector at the Teluk Bintuni Police Resort’s Criminal Investigation Unit, was swept away by the Rawara River on December 18 while leading an operation against DPO KKB Marten Aikinggin.
The joint TNI-Polri task force was conducting a pursuit in Meyah Lama, Moskona Barat, when Iptu Tomi slipped and fell into the river, ultimately being carried away by the strong current. The incident occurred as the team was closing in on Marten Aikinggin, who was hiding in a nearby plantation.
Following the incident, the task force was split into two groups. One team searched for Iptu Tomi along the riverbank, while the other continued the operation against Marten Aikinggin. The second team successfully apprehended the KKB leader at around 8:00 AM WIT, after a brief skirmish.
Marten Aikinggin, also known as the commander of the Moskona Battalion, is responsible for the murder of four road workers in the Trans Bintuni-Maybrat project. Despite his capture, the search for Iptu Tomi continues, with the joint task force and SAR teams combing the river with the assistance of two helicopters.
Kombes Ongky Isgunawan, the head of public relations for the Papua Barat Provincial Police, expressed his condolences and vowed to continue the search for Iptu Tomi. "We are doing our utmost to find Iptu Tomi Marbun. We ask for everyone’s prayers that he may be found safe and sound," he said.
The tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by law enforcement officers in their relentless pursuit of justice and peace in Papua Barat.
This is a developing story. More updates will follow as they become available.
Tags:
Papua Barat, KKB, Iptu Tomi S Marbun, Marten Aikinggin, Police Chase, Fatal Incident, Papua Barat Police, TNI-Polri Task Force
Internal Links:
- Papua Barat Police: A Force for Peace and Justice
- The Growing Threat of Armed Criminal Groups in Indonesia
External Links:
- UNODC: Armed Violence and Organized Crime in Southeast Asia
- The Jakarta Post: Papua’s Security Challenges
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