BRIMOB
BriMob platoon on patrol in West Papua, with Kalashnikov and RPD guns from Russian
BriMob, or Mobile Brigade, is the Indonesian riot police. This force is the one most commonly deployed to 'contain' protests throughout Indonesian controlled territories, including West Papua. BriMob are frequent offenders in terms of human rights violations, from illegally dispersing peaceful demonstrations with violent force, through to shooting at and killing unarmed people engaged in public protest. BriMob has been implicated in countless extrajudicial killings across the archipelago and in occupied East Timor. In West Papua, BriMob and their heavy duty international arsenal pose a real risk of serious injury and death to people taking part in the civil resistance to Indonesian rule.
Weapons
Barracuda
Hanwha Barracuda vehicles on the streets of West Papua
Barracuda 'riot suppression' vehicles are a familiar sight wherever there is protest activity in West Papua. A series of silent protests held outside the trial of Victor Yeimo during 2022 and 2023 have been encircled by these heavily armed vehicles. Victor Yeimo is the spokesperson of the West Papuan National Committee (KNPB), a civil society group advocating dialogue and referendum. Yeimo is being tried for 'treason'.
Hanwha (formerly Doosan) sold 20 Barracuda weaponised vehicles to Indonesia in 2004. In 2022 Hanwha signed a contract with POLRI to supply 25 more of the weapons.
The Barracuda 4×4 armored wheeled vehicle is developed with top-of-the-line technology, and is capable of effectively performing security maintenance, riot suppression, and patrol missions with excellent high-speed maneuverability and outstanding protection capacity.
Effectively a mobile weapons station, the Barracuda can be equipped with various types of weaponry. SMB (Heavy Machine Gun) Browning M2HB 12.7 mm and 7.62 caliber medium machine gun can be mounted on the roof. In the Brimob variant, three viewing glasses are provided on either side. Under each glass block is a firing port suitable for the SS-1, M16 or Steyr AUG barrel.
The Barracuda is based on Thyssen Henschel's Radpanzer TM-170. Thyssen has been acquired by Rheinmetall.
AK-2000P
This rifle is Norinco's version of the Russian Kalashnikov, or AK 101 weapons. Thousands of the AK 2000Ps have been sold to the Indonesian Police or POLRI in the past two decades. The BriMob training manual contains advice about its use and BriMob as well as ordinary police can be seen carrying this gun in West Papua.
POLRI with the AK 2000P gun
BriMob with Norinco AK 2000P guns
SSG 08
The SSG 08 is a highly accurate bolt-action sniper rifle, developed in collaboration with Austria's counter-terrorism unit. A source indicates that BRIMOB has trained with the rifle, there are unverified reports of BRIMOB members carrying the weapon in West Papua, and the weapon has been ID'ed by analysts as being carried by security forces at the Grasberg Freeport mine.
Wolf Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC)
The Wolf, or DAPC-1, accommodates 8 troops. There are six firing holes inside the cabin and a gun mount in front of the roof hatch for attaching a sub-machine gun. The roof can be fitted with strobe lights, sirens, spotlights, and CCTV camera systems, and comes equipped with four smoke grenade launchers and two boxes each containing 16 tear gas canisters.
BriMob - Gegana Unit has been using Daeji’s Wolf APC since 2013.
Steyr AUG
The Steyr Aug is a “bull-pup” assault rifle manufactured by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG. It is in use by dozens of police and military units around the world. Members of the Indonesian security forces are regularly pictured carrying Steyr AUG assault rifles, and the weapon is known to be used by BRIMOB, KOPASKA, KOPASSUS and Detachment 88. An Australian variant. the F88, is manufactured under license by Thales Australia at its Lithgow factory. It is possible that the Australian version is also in use in West Papua.
Members of BRIMOB have regularly been photographed carrying Steyr AUG weapons in Papua, including when policing protests, and when on patrol.
The sight is manufactured by Swarovski Optik.
BriMob in West Papua armed with Steyr AUG weapons.
Glock 17
Glock 17 sold by GLOCK in Austria
The Glock 17 is used by BRIMOB, Kopassus and Detachment-88. The weapon is listed on the SALW guide as present in Indonesia. Local media sources cite BRIMOB groups training with Glock weapons, and the pistol can be seen in numerous photos of special forces, including intel, operatives in West Papua.
Unidentified forces with Glock pistol, Intan Jaya, West Papua 2022
40x46 mm SAGL grenade launcher
Local media sources say a shipment of SAGL grenade launchers arrived in Indonesia in 2017, destined to be used by BRIMOB. Other sources indicate that the weapons came with a variety of ammunition, including tear gas, smoke, and “sharp”, which appears to consist of small metal pellets and were specifically destined for Papua and Poso.
The import of the SAGL grenade launchers caused contraversy in Indonesia after the shipment was detained at the docks. The import had bypassed the official military channels for arms imports. The seizure of the weapons made the news and highlighted the militarisation of police, an issue of concern for human rights and land rights activists across Indonesia as well as West Papua. The BriMob commander was asked to explain to national media why the police force required high-powered grenade launchers.
Bell 412 helicopter
Bell 412 Helicopter
The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter used for law enforcement, military and civilian purposes around the world. Nine were ordered by Indonesia in 2018. One was delivered in January 2021 and two more in July 2021. The helicopters are being built in the USA before being handed to Indonesian state-owned company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) for customisations “including a Gatling-type gun from US-based company Dillon Aero”.
M1911 semi-automatic pistol
The M1911 is a commonly used handgun among BriMob police. It is also produced locally by Pindad, as the Pindad P1.