Transnational crime is happening right here in Papua New Guinea but the Royal PNG Constabulary does not have the resources to combat it.
Transnational crimes occur when people bring illicit drugs, smuggle weapons and people, etc, into another country.
The police bosses of two provinces that share a border with the West Papua Province of Indonesia raised this security issue at the Transnational Crime Workshop in Port Moresby today.
“Transnational crime is here in the country, it is here to stay but the attention from the Police Headquarters is not on it,” said West Sepik PPC Robert Gesa.
He was referring to inadequate funding and support from Konedobu, Port Moresby, to combat the crime.
North-Fly PPC Joe Puri said Western Province’s large land mass makes policing the border and tackling the crime a huge challenge.
He said the transnational crime office is located on Daru Island only; nowhere else in the other areas of the province.
Many areas in Western Province are only accessible by river, Puri stated.
He gave an example of how his policemen nearly lost their lives when a boat capsized while en route to an operation.
Puri added that the lack of police personnel and housing is also a hindrance to police work.