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Australian
Arrested in Ambon: Report
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Laksamana.Net
July
12, 2002 04:59 PM, |
Australian
Arrested in Ambon: Report
|
Laksamana.Net -
Naval security personnel in Ambon, Maluku province, have
arrested an Australian ship captain for possession of
firearms and ammunition, state news agency Antara reported
Thursday (11/7/02).
The report could not be independently confirmed by the
Australian Embassy.
Antara said the Australian, John Kevin, was arrested
Wednesday with four locals after the ship, the Alfred
Nobel, had anchored near the coastal village of Amahusu.
The naval officers seized the firearms, bullets and the
vessel.
Maluku is under a state of civil emergency and foreigners
have been banned from entering the province since April
2002.
Rights groups claim the ban is an effort to prevent foreign
journalists from reporting on human rights violations in
Maluku, which has been wracked by deadly religious violence
between Muslims and Christians since January 1999.
Antara said Kevin claimed he was in Ambon for business in
the fisheries and forestry sectors.
Local naval commander Lieutenant Colonel Buyung Lelana was
quoted as saying his officers confiscated three rifles and
134 rounds of ammunition.
Kevin reportedly had a permit from the provincial government
to use his ship in the area as a marine survey vessel.
Antara said the guns and ammunition were apparently for
self-defense, as Kevin had already been robbed in Indonesian
waters.
But Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa
implied the Australian was an arms smuggler.
"We consider arms and ammunition trafficking as a type
of transnational crime, like people smuggling and drug
trafficking," he was quoted as saying by Antara on
Friday.
He said the Foreign Ministry would await further information
on the case before deciding how the matter should be
resolved. |
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