Police Commissioner Gari Baki is in Mt Hagen on his way to Tari in Hela Province to witness the destruction of weapons that have been surrendered.
The destruction of weapons will take place tomorrow, as part of the “Operation Klinim Hela” program.”
The program follows a special call out operations sanctioned by the Government to help stem the buildup of arms and ammunition in the province ahead of the 2017 National Election.
For tomorrow March 7, 2017, a joint tentative program will see Phase One of the arms surrender.
Travelling with Commissioner Baki are, Chief Secretary Issac Lupari, Finance Minister Francis Marape, and Hela Governor Francis Potape and Colonel Wenjil.DMS, from the PNG Defence Force, a United Nations representative as well as other leaders.
It is believed a huge number of weapons, many homemade have been surrendered and stockpiled ahead of the destruction ceremony which takes place in Tari tomorrow.
The joint PNGDF and Police callout statistics indicate people handing in more than 150 weapons which include 20 factory-made and 130 homemade weapons. To date a total of 600 weapons of all makes were surrendered towards the end of February at Tari, Hela Province.
The proliferation of firearms into the country ahead of the 2017 National Election is an on-going concern which the National Government has taken steps to stem by instituting the Joint Police and Military call out program.