A large number of gang members from Tigak Island, who have been terrorising locals for over two years, have finally surrendered.
They turned themselves in to Kavieng police last week following the killing of their leader in a joint raid conducted by local police and Mobile Squad (MS) personnel from the Tomaringa Barracks on Thursday, June 9th.
On June 11th, eight of the members surrendered with their bows and arrows and a container of a poisonous herbicide called gramoxone. This brought the number of perpetrators apprehended to 11, until two more men surrendered on Sunday, June 12th, and another on Monday, June 13th.
New Ireland Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Chief Inspector Felix Nebanat, said this concludes the list of main suspects for the case.
PPC Nebanat said, “All suspects are part of a family gang made up of a landowner from Tigak (name withheld) and his sons, forming a ‘band of brothers’.”
“The gang also includes his grandsons and a small group of displaced Lavongais who he accommodates on the large portion of customary land that he owns.
“Apart from the main suspects, police have identified seven accomplices comprising of the misplaced Lavongais, who have fled to nearby islands for fear of being arrested,” he said.
The 19-man Tomaringa MS unit, from East New Britain, was brought in to assist NIP police on May 31st, after local police was attacked on May 27th at Ungan Island.
PPC Nebanat has commended the law enforcers on ground, saying they continue to execute given orders despite the challenging circumstances surrounding the operation, such as lack of rest, travelling on rough seas from island to island, scarcity of fresh water and spending long hours in thick mangroves, searching for suspects.