[hanomantoto]

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The Cartenz Peace Operation Task Force (Satgas Ops Damai Cartenz) is hunting Aske Mabel, a former police officer suspected of joining the Free Papua Movement-West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB-OPM). Aske Mabel previously served at the Yalimo Police Resort (Polres) in the Central Highlands of Papua with the rank of second brigadier.

Aske fled from the Yalimo Police Resort after taking away four long-barreled firearms on June 9, 2024. “Currently, our investigation is ongoing, and Aske Mabel will be the main target in law enforcement by Operation Damai Cartenz-2024,” said Head of the Public Relations Task Force for Ops Damai Cartenz-2024, Police Commissioner Bayu Suseno in a written statement on Sunday, November 10, 2024.

Bayu stated that the Cartenz Peace Task Force will continue to enforce the law against individuals threatening stability in Papua, including Aske Mabel. Bayu declared that Aske Mabel will also be the main target for law enforcement by the Ops Damai Cartenz Task Force in 2025.

Aske Mabel is suspected to have joined the TPNPB-OPM after a video circulated of a man resembling him declaring himself as the Commander of the East Yali-Yalimo Regional Defense Command (Kodap). In the video, the man believed to be Aske Mabel read a statement as the leader of Kodap Yalimo. Three other individuals accompanied him.

He claimed to have seized AK-47 firearms. “I have been appointed as the Commander of TPNPB-OPM Kodap Balim Timur Yali-Yalimo. We have seized four AK-47 firearms from the Yalimo Police Resort, Papua Highlands Province, some time ago,” said the man believed to be Aske Mabel 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 later circulated.

Chief of the Cartenz Peace Operation, Brigadier General Faizal Ramadhani, suspected the figure in the video to be Aske Mabel. “The figure in the circulated video strongly resembles former member of the Yalimo Police Resort, Aske Mabel,” said Faizal.

Faizal mentioned that Aske was previously involved in the seizure of four long-barreled AK China firearms on June 9, 2024. Faizal stated that the police will take law enforcement actions against Aske Mabel.

Tempo has contacted the spokesperson for TPNPB-OPM, Sebby Sambom, regarding Aske Mabel’s involvement with the military wing of the West Papua independence organization. Sebby has not responded to Tempo‘s inquiries at the time of writing this news.

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