Timika-* On Saturday, September 21, 2024, Pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens was finally successfully freed by the Joint TNI-Polri Team and the Cartenz-2024 Peace Ops Task Force in Yuguru Village, Maibarok District, Nduga Regency, Papua Mountains.This release operation ended a long process involving intensive negotiations with the Armed Criminal Group (KKB) led by Egianus Kogoya.The Assistant for Operations of the Chief of Police, Inspector General of Police Verdianto Biticaca, in a press conference in Timika, expressed his appreciation to all parties involved in the release.”Alhamdulillah, praise God, today Saturday, September 21, 2024, Pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens has been released in a healthy physical condition,” said Inspector General of Police Verdianto Biticaca.Inspector General of Police Verdianto added that the negotiation process to free the pilot took a long time, but thanks to the hard work and collaboration of all parties, the pilot could be saved. The negotiation was carried out with an approach that prioritized the involvement of religious leaders, traditional leaders, and close family members of the KKB Egianus Kogoya group.Head of the Public Relations Task Force for the Cartenz-2024 Peaceful Operation, Senior Commissioner Dr. Bayu Suseno, also expressed his gratitude to all parties who contributed to the operation to free Pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens.”With the right approach, today the pilot has been safely released,” concluded Senior Commissioner Bayu Suseno.
