Police tear gas and open fire at Wanigela homes

A shootout took place this morning around 11:20am to 12 midday at the Wanigela Village down at Koki, Port Moresby.

A man in his early 30’s, identified as  Boala Beru was shot twice in his chest while trying to take refuge under a house.

He was rushed to the Pacific International Hospital.

Another man, a betelnut seller was shot in the butt while trying to run away with his bag of betelnuts.

Bystanders and witnesses said the shots were fired by police who were trying to intercept suspected betelnut smugglers.

They said it looked like an ambush to catch people bringing in betelnut by boat to those waiting along the Wanigela shoreline.

 "When they saw two mobile squad police vehicles from both ends of the shoreline; those carrying the bags of betelnut fled back into houses on the sea."

They claim police threw tear gas into houses and angry residents and those at sea retaliated by throwing stones back, causing police to open fire at houses resulting in one man receiving two shots to the chest.

Witnesses who did not want to be named said the man was not buying or selling betelnut.

"He but merely trying to escape the flying bullets from police."

They say police threw in at least 5 to 6 tear gas canizters to disperse the crowd, before driving off with the bags of betelnut they removed from the boats along the shoreline.

They provided registration numbers of the two mobile squad ten seater as follows: ZPD 344- 05 and ZPD 343- 02.

Author: 
Annette Kora