Military To Watch Out For Drug Trafficking

Timika, Nov 8 (ANTARA) - The soldiers of the Merauke military district command of East Papua are told to watch out for drug trafficking across the border from Papua New Guinea. The military has detained a Papua New Guinean carrying marijuana from that country on the border area, Brig. Gen. Edy Rakhmayadi, chief of the district military command, said With the incident security across the border is tightened, Edy said, adding "we do not want this region to be made a new gate for drug trafficking." There are three battalions deployed along the border line between Merauke and Papu New Guinea, he said. He said many people from Papua New Guinea crossed the border into the Indonesian territory without being aware of the border regulations, he said. They often crossed the border to barter goods such as meat with rice in the Indonesian side of the border, he said. Recently the military found a village with 35 Papua New Guinean families in the frontier areas of Boven Digul, 5 kilometers from the border, he said. The villagers speak only English, he added.