Two Australian men have been accused of attempting to traffic firearms to a violent paramilitary group in Indonesia, after investigations into the kidnapping of a New Zealand pilot allegedly uncovered evidence linking the pair to the rebels.

The two men, from Queensland and NSW, also allegedly discussed sourcing Australian military weapons for the National Liberation Army of West Papua.

The arrests follow a two-year investigation between Australian Federal Police and Queensland’s counterterrorism team. The probe was launched after the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement, known as TPNPB, kidnapped Phillip Mehrtens.

Mehrtens, a pilot from Christchurch, was working for Indonesian aviation company Susi Air at the time.

He was kidnapped in February 2023 by the group after landing a small

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