The alleged police officer who is on the run for smuggling betel-nut into Port Moresby is expected to be arrested soon.
NCD Metropolitan Superintendent, Perou N’dranou, said this after police intercepted the vehicle transporting the betel nut bags on Sunday April 12th at Morata.
The Metropolitan Superintendent said the suspect who transported a Landcruiser filled with betel-nut bags is expected to be arrested soon.
“We think that this person is (a police officer) and soon we will be pulling him in and investigate further. We set up an SOE discipline team compromising of our CID’s, Policing the Police Team, and Investigation Unit, commanded by a senior officer who will deal with police behavior during this period. So they are investigating that case as we speak and I’ve seen that report and we’d like to believe that we know this person,” said Perou.
Perou also stated that NCD Police intercepted betel nut smugglers last night.
The bags were disposed of today.
“The public are not adhering to the SOE directive and health and hygiene directive, that we should not be chewing betel-nut and spitting. It keeps coming so that is one of the challenges.
“These are the only four bags that we brought, but there is another group that we stopped last night, with the help of SSD members as well as the National Drug and Vice Squad, they helped as well, so we had two teams that were able to pick up some illicit contraband last night.”
Meanwhile with the directive to remove road blocks, Perou says they will continue to ensure the betel nut ban is imposed.
“Since yesterday the Divisional Commander has gone out and made that known to the PPC, and the members are aware of it. We will do our normal police work to ensure that we don’t allow betel nut to come into the city.”