Timika –* Pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens was finally successfully freed by the Joint TNI-Polri Team and the Cartenz-2024 Peace Operations Task Force in Yuguru Village, Maibarok District, Nduga Regency, Papua Pegunungan, on Saturday, September 21, 2024.This success was achieved thanks to a negotiation approach involving community leaders, churches, women, and local youth.Head of Cartenz-2024 Peace Operations, Brigadier General Pol. Dr. Faizal Ramadhani, when accompanied by the Head of the Cartenz-2024 Peace Operations Public Relations Task Force, Senior Commissioner Pol. Dr. Bayu Suseno, in Timika, explained that this release effort was carried out without deploying troops.”We only used a negotiation team. Pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens was successfully freed without deploying troops,” said Brigadier General Pol. Faizal Ramadhani.Brigadier General Pol. Dr. Faizal Ramadhani added that the biggest challenge in the operation to free Pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens was the complexity of the armed criminal group (KKB) which was known to have more than one faction. However, with continuous negotiation efforts and approaches to various community leaders, the release of the New Zealand pilot was successful.Head of Public Relations Task Force, Senior Commissioner Pol. Bayu Suseno, also expressed his appreciation to all parties involved in the operation to free Pilot Philip Mark Mehrtens.”With the right approach, today the pilot was successfully released safely,” concluded Senior Commissioner Pol. Bayu Suseno.
