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February 19, 2025 | 01:40 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Police have arrested the leader of an armed criminal group (KKB) who is also a former member of the Indonesian National Police, Askel Mabel. Damai Cartenz, a special joint task force in Indonesia focused on security operations in Papua, confirms that he was sent to Jayapura, Papua.
Head of the Damai Cartenz Task Force, Brigadier General Faizal Rahmadani said Askel was flown to Jayapura to undergo legal proceedings.
Askel Mabel, formerly known as Aske Mabel, is a former member of the Indonesian National Police who fled with four organic police firearms type AK 47. The ex-police officer is suspected to have joined the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM).
Faizal stated that Askel was arrested on Tuesday evening, February 18, 2025, around Elelim, Yalimo Regency, Papua Highlands.
"Askel Mabel is currently on the way to Jayapura," said Faizal as quoted from Antara, Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
Faizal, the Head of the Damai Cartenz Task Force, was on the plane that would take Askel Mabel to Jayapura. Askel Mabel had previously served in the Yalimo Police Resort, Papua Highlands, with the rank of second brigadier. He fled with four AK-47 firearms and their ammunition, which were organic police weapons, on June 4, 2024.
Previously, the Damai Cartenz Task Force also arrested one of Askel Mabel's subordinates, namely Nikson Matuan alias Okoni Sieb, along with two organic police firearms type AK 47 and two magazines containing 46 rounds of ammunition. Nikson Matuan was arrested on February 2, 2025, in Elelim District, Yalimo Regency, Papua Highlands.
Askel Mabel is suspected to have joined the TPNPB-OPM after a video circulated showing a man, resembling him, declaring himself as the Commander of the Defense Regional Command (Kodap) Balim East Yali-Yalimo.
In the video, the man, believed to be Askel Mabel, read out a statement as the leader of Kodap Yalimo. Three other people accompanied the man in the video. He claimed to have seized AK-47 firearms.
"I have been appointed as the Commander of TPNPB-OPM Kodap Balim East Yali-Yalimo. We have seized four AK-47 firearms from the Yalimo Police Resort, Papua Highlands, some time ago," said the man resembling Askel in the video.
The man stated that he would use the seized weapon logistics for the West Papua independence struggle. He also held the firearms while recording the video which was then circulated.
Head of the Damai Cartenz Task Force, Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani, suspected that the person in the video was Askel Mabel.
"The figure in this circulated video is strongly suspected to bear a resemblance to former Yalimo Police Resort member, Aske Mabel," said Faizal, November 2024.
Faizal stated that Askel had previously been involved in seizing four Chinese-made long-barreled AK firearms on June 9, 2024. Faizal said the police would take legal enforcement measures against the former Indonesian National Police officer.
However, a spokesperson for the West Papua National Liberation Army-Free Papua Movement (TPNPB-OPM), Sebby Sambom, denied the claim that Askel Mabel deserted the police to join their group.
Sebby also denied that Askel had been appointed as the Commander of the Defense Regional Command (Kodap) Balim East Yali-Yalimo.
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