Jakarta (ANTARA) - The military police of the Cendrawasih Regional Military Command has detained six army soldiers who have been named suspects in the murder of four residents of Mimika District, Papua Province.

A team of military police investigators has placed the suspects in detention for 20 days to allow the investigation of the murder case, Chief of the Indonesian Army’s Information Service Brigadier General Tatang Subarna said in a written statement released on Tuesday.

"The suspects are being held in custody at Subdenpom (military police sub-detachment) XVII/C's detention cell in Mimika. (They will be detained) from Monday (August 29) till September 17, 2022," he informed.

The six suspects comprise a major, a captain, a chief soldier, and three first privates from the infantry brigade of the Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) 20/IJK/3.

Subarna said the army is serious about probing the case thoroughly and will impose firm and serious sanctions on the suspects in accordance with the law.

Earlier, Director of the General Crime Investigation Unit of the Papua Provincial Police Senior Commissioner Faizal Rahmadani said that the police have arrested and detained three of the suspects.

They are being held in custody at the Mimika Resort Police on the charge of murdering the residents on August 22.

The bodies of the residents were found in several places in Timika.

Three of the detained suspects have been identified by their initials as APL alias Jeck, DU, and R. They were arrested in different places.

Three of the slain Mimika residents have been identified as Arnold Lokbere, Irian Nirigi, and Leman Nirigi, while the fourth has remained unidentified.

The murder case came to light after the body of Lokbere was found on Friday (August 26) and the body of the unidentified resident was found on Saturday (August 27).

"Two other bodies have not been found, and the motive behind the sadistic murder is also still unknown," Faizal said. 

 

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