Indonesia has asked Papua New Guinea's guns control advocates not to believe claims that there is a lucrative drugs-for-guns trade between the two countries.
According to a report in the newspaper, The National, the Indonesian embassy has dismissed submissions to the National Guns Control Committee in East and West Sepik that guns are freely available in the Indonesian province of Papua.
An embassy spokesman referred to photographs in the Post-Courier newspaper which showed Wewak police displaying firearms which they say originated from neighbouring Papua.
The spokesman said Indonesian military officials have studied these photographs and have confirmed that none of the firearms were of Indonesian origin.
He said Indonesia has tighter guns control laws than PNG, especially in Papua, because of the threat from the separatists.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's border liaison chief has conceded that there is a drugs trade, but says it's limited and only for monetary benefits.
