Police in East New Britain believe a double slaying at a settlement near Kokopo today was the result of drugs and cultism
Police reported that between 12am and 2am this morning there were three people killed at Gelegele resettlement ward, the alleged assailant and two victimsS.
The suspect,, a young man was believed to have been under the influence of drugs and reportedly attacked and killed his sister and three year old niece.
Eye witnesses reported to police that the suspect was seen praying aloud and singing Christian worship songs before he went into an uncontrollable mood and and started attacking people with a knife.
The man slashed two of his neighbours resulting in one suffering a broken leg and the other having his hand chopped.
East New Britain Police Commander Anthony Wagambie junior says that following this the suspect then went to his first cousin’s house , and chopped off her arm.
From reports, PPC Wagambie says that the five year old daughter of the sister, who was in shock, went to recover her mother’s arm but was also attacked and slashed in the neck with the same bushknife used against her mother.
Wagambie says that the community then got together and pursued the suspect trying to disarm him immediately out of fear that he would go on a rampage, attacking anyone at will.
The community managed to track the man down and attack him, resulting in his death.
However Wagambie says that following this the community out of fear burned the man’s body as it was suspected that he had been worshipping in a cult type movement.
Commander Wagambie says that the tragedy happened very quickly which was why police only made it to the scene just after the suspect of murder and wounding was killed.
He says that the community had no choice but to disarm the suspect who was attacking people at will however police investigators will be attending to the matter.
On the issue of this being a cult related incident he tells Loop PNG that this is yet to be confirmed.
Police are treating this as an unfortunate incident of a person disillusioned by use of drugs, leading to him becoming mentally instable.
Wagambie says that the cultivation of drugs and the drug trade, especially marijuana, was a big problem in the province.
Police continue to try their best to locate and deal with people cultivating marijuana and also those selling drugs but the community needed to step up and take ownership of the issue to deal with it properly.