Jayapura, Papua, Sept. 21 -- Police in Indonesia's Papua province have seized 19 kilograms of cannabis smuggled from neighboring Papua New Guinea (PNG) since the start of the year, officials said.

The drugs were confiscated from 15 PNG nationals arrested in various locations across the province, according to Senior Commissioner Alfian, head of the Papua Police Narcotics Division.

"These suspects smuggled cannabis into Indonesia using narrow border trails and sea routes," Alfian said at a press briefing in Jayapura on Saturday.

The Indonesia-PNG border stretches more than 700 kilometers, much of it dense forest, making it prone to cross-border crimes, particularly drug trafficking. Police say traffickers often use remote areas to evade ...