REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MERAUKE -- A member of the Merauke district legislative assembly (DPRD) has urged the government to tighten control over border crossing in Papua to prevent drug smuggling from Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Chairman of the Commission B of the DPRD Fransiskus Sirfefa said here on Monday , there has been control but still needs tightening.
Fransiskus's call came after reports of growing cases of Papua New Guineans nabbed for smuggling drugs mainly marijuana across the border from Papua New Guinea.
"We are concerned with the impact especially on the younger generation," he said.
He acknowledged control would not be easy over the long land border not to mention the trouble caused by separatists lurking in the jungle.
"Smugglers or traffickers easily cross the border and our people in Merauke fall victims," he said.
Earlier, the Papua unit of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) arrested eight Papua New Guineans in a raid in the Vietnam village in the district of Jayapura Selatan of Jayapura and confiscated 2.5 grams from them.
Head of the Papua BNN Jackson Lapolonga said the village of Vietnam is known to be the marketing target for marijuana from PNG.
Jackson said the raid involved BNN, police and the military as well as immigration officers.
The eight PNG people, still held by the Papua BNN, were identified as Lapung, Steven (28), Jerry (35), Jorge Steven (18), Martin Lauren (38), Youwe (25), Raindogs (29) and Elisabeth 25).
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