Acting Provincial Police Commander of East New Britain Province Chief Inspector Peter Kusup has described the upsurge of violence in South Baining in which two men were murdered and several houses torched in January of this year as unprecedented.
The horrific double murder and burning of several houses at Mak village allegedly perpetrated by several machete-wielding men has shocked the people of East New Britain Province and local police are also groping for answers in their quest to establish a motive for these crimes.
Since the commencement of investigations detectives have not established a motive for these crimes but PPC Kusup believes the violence could be attributed to emerging land feuds culminating from Oil Palm development which is spreading across the region.
The PPC said the increase of population and the influences of illicit drugs and home-brewed liquor are all contributing to the rise of social ills such as crime, prostitution and other illegal activities in the South Baining area.
These coupled with the prospect of Oil Palm development has resulted in the upsurge of crimes such as armed hold ups and harassment of innocent people living in this part of the province.
A major police operation was launched at the height of the violence and so far 50 suspects implicated in these murders were arrested and charged while 228 suspects were arrested and charged for arson.
PPC Kusup said the violence had prompted him to draw up a community awareness program which he hopes will be supported by the Provincial Government and other relevant stakeholders in the province.
The PPC wants police to vigorously bring the campaign against drugs, alcohol and violence into the villages and communities throughout the province in a bid to promote peace and good order within the East New Britain society.
The PPC said while in pursuit of the suspects, police uncovered and uprooted a huge quantity of marijuana plants in South Baining confirming that many people living in this part of the province were cultivating and selling these illicit drugs within the province.
The PPC said police were routinely deployed over the past two months and so far a total of 31 suspects were arrested and charged for cultivating, trafficking and possessing various quantities of cannabis.
The PPC wants to sustain this highly successful security operation but he says funding constraint is hampering their effort and he is hoping that the provincial government will step in and assist them maintain police presence in South Baining.
He said the provincial government initially assisted with some funding but these funds were exhausted and the police deployment was withdrawn on Friday March 25, 2016.
PPC Kusup said because of the funding constraints affecting police operations he has asked the community leaders to take ownership of the law and order situation until the Mungou police station is renovated and re-opened to provide policing services for the people of South Baining.