Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The Papua Police said on Wednesday that the killing of four people in Nafri on Monday was simply a criminal act and had nothing to do with the separatist group the Free Papua Organization (OPM).

That assessment contradicted the Jayapura Police's statement that the OPM could be behind the attack.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wachyono said that, judging by the attack method, it was not necessarily committed by the OPM. Although the OPM usually targets police or military posts, the attack in Nafri targeted civilians. "If the perpetrators claimed to be OPM members, they must have been only using the OPM name," Wachyono said.

A group of unidentified people armed with sharp weapons attacked a group of vegetable vendors travelling from Koya to Youtefa market in Abepura early on Monday morning, leaving four dead from severe stab wounds.

Separately, councilor Ruben Magai of the Papua legislative council (DPRP) said the attack in Nafri proved that intelligence work in Papua was weak, especially because the exact same incident happened at the same place in November last year, leaving one person dead.

"The intelligence has yet to reveal the perpetrators of the attack that happened seven months ago. Now the incident has been repeated. There should have been some measures taken to prevent such an incident from reoccurring," Ruben told The Jakarta Post in Jayapura.

The killings in Nafri were not the first to target civilians. Previously, a public transportation driver was stabbed to death on Skyland highway, the main road connecting Jayapura and Abepura, and his vehicle was burned.

"The perpetrator has yet to be identified, regardless of the fact that it happened downtown during a busy time of day. This is because law enforcement is so weak that criminals can commit crimes free from fear," Ruben said.

Earlier this month, a person named Sugiantoro was stabbed by an unidentified assailant. He is currently in intensive care at RS TNI AD Marthen Indey hospital for severe stab wounds all over his body.

"These unsolved crimes have created fear among the community and decreased people's trust in law enforcement. They no longer know where they can turn to for security," he said.

Responding to the criticism, Wachyono said crimes were committed whenever there was a chance to do so.

The Nafri killings caused vegetable prices to nearly double at Youtefa market, the biggest market in Jayapura. "Chilies were sold only for Rp 35,000 [US$4.15]/kilogram yesterday. It's now Rp 65,000/kg. The same was the case with other fresh commodities due to short supply," Bejo, a door-to-door vegetable merchant, said.

Most of the vegetables sold at Youtefa were supplied from Koya. Since the killings, merchants from Koya have been reluctant to go to the market for fear they might be killed too.