Yomce Lokbere, a member of the West Papua National Liberation Army as the West Papua Armed Criminal Group under the leadership of Egianus Kogoya, was arrested by a joint team of Indonesian Armed Forces and Police on Tuesday, April 5 2023 in Nduga Regency, Papua Highlands.

Yomce Lokbere is the Head of the Matoa Post (West Papua Armed Criminal Group Headquarters) located in Alguru Village, Kenyam District, Nduga Regency.

Head of the Law Enforcement Task Force for the Carstensz Peaceful Operation, I Gusti Gde Era Adhinata, said that after examining and developing Yomce Lokbere, the team found facts related to Yomce Lokbere’s main duties while joining the Egianus Kogoya group.

Yomce Lokbere, who has now been named a suspect in a series of acts of violence in the Nduga region and is part of Egianus Kogoya’s troops, is tasked with collecting weapons and ammunition, as well as logistics and food. He was assigned to guard the headquarters of the West Papua Armed Criminal Group led by Egianus Kogoya in Alguru Village.

“The suspect was also involved in various criminal acts, such as in 2021 being involved in the burning of the Dolorosa camp,” said I Gusti Gde Era Adhinata.

Apart from setting fire to the workers’ camp, on February 2 2021 Yomce Lokbere was also involved in a gunfight with Army personnel from Yonif Raider 700/WYC in the Mapenduma area.

Then on June 7 2022, Yomce was also involved in the shooting down of a SAM Air plane at Kenyam Airport. On February 5, 2023, he was also involved in an act of threatening 15 workers building a health clinic for the community in Paro District, Nduga.

Yomce was also involved in the arson action of the Susi Air plane which later took the pilot, Captain Philip Mark Mehrtens, a New Zealand citizen, as hostage. However, the suspect did not join Egianus Kogoya’s entourage to take the pilot hostage.

The items of evidence seized from the suspects are:

1. one FERFRANS SOAR (Special Operations Assault Rifle) Sub-Compact Weapon (SCW) caliber 5.56 mm

2. One 40 mm caliber SPG1A grenade launcher

3. one piece 1 gun

4. 312 rounds of 5.56 mm caliber ammunition

5. 43 rounds of 7.62×39 mm caliber ammunition

6. 4 rounds of 9×17 mm caliber ammunition

7. 19 rounds of 8.3 mm caliber caliber ammunition

8. 13 rounds of 38 mm caliber ammunition

9. 8 rounds of 7.62×45 mm caliber ammunition

10. 17 rounds of 9 mm caliber ammunition