12 suspects in the killing of two US teachers detained in Timika

As many as 12 people believed as suspects in the killing of two American teachers and an Indonesian in Timika in August, 2002 have been detained in the Papuan city, Kompas reported Friday.

The chief of the Papua police Tommy Yacobus said in Jayapura on Thursday that the 12 suspects included Antonius Wanmang who earlier admitted that he was responsible for the killing were seized after the Indonesian police and FBI of the United States promised them to carry out the trial process in the United States.

According to Tommy, the suspects were detained in Kwamki Lama village near Timika, the capital of Mimika where most parts of Freeport Indonesia's gold concessions are located.

Among them is Antonius Wanmang, who in 2004 was indicted by then-US attorney general John Ashcroft for the August 2002 shooting, in which two American teachers and their Indonesian colleague were killed when their vehicle was fired on.

Wanmang was allegedly an OPM commander at the time of the attack, which took place on the road leading to a gold and copper mine in Timika operated by US-owned Freeport McMoRan. (*)