More than 50 Papuans have been detained by Papua New Guinea security forces at the Indonesian border.
The Post Courier reports the chief of Police Operations, acting deputy commissioner, Fred Yakasa, revealed the figures in Vanimo, where he is visiting because of negative media coverage of the border operation.
The paper reports that if the detainees are found to have entered the country illegally, or if they are involved in OPM activities on the PNG side of the border, they will be told to leave the country.
Mr Yakasa says he is assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the operation, but says the local communities had expressed appreciation of the work being done.
