Dog Unit

Perou N’Dranou issued the warning after an arresting officer was threatened by a group from the unit.

Certain officers from the K9 unit took matters into their own hands when one of their friends, who is a PNG Defence Force soldier, was arrested over the weekend over allegations of motor vehicle theft.

During that time, it was established that the suspect was also involved in the case of the 2015 killing of a Kilakila student, and is the son of a senior police officer.

This directive comes from the office of the NCD Metropolitan superintendent, Perou N'Dranou, following reports of police harassment in the last two weeks.

The harassment were mostly related to vending in public places.

The main push factor for this ban was an incident last Wednesday when a unit chasing vendors at the Hohola market, shot teargas into the air to disperse the crowd. But this was meters from the nearby Sacred Heart primary school which saw a few students injured and rushed to the hospital.

From West Sepik Province, Constable Valentina Kowa, joined the Royal Papua New Guinea in 2013.

She becomes the first policewoman to join the Police Dog Unit since policewomen were first recruited into the Constabulary in 1976.

Constable Kowa successfully completed her eight-week intensive specialist canine handlers and dogs training with 13 male officers.

“I am so happy and very grateful today. It is very challenging but I have made it and I want to encourage policewomen to join the Dog Directorate,” Constable Kowa said.

The unit was called in to inspect 30 mustard bags in case of drugs being hidden among the cargo.

Airport Police Station Commander Robert Wane says the Dog unit was brought in to give clearance to the bags on site.

The bags were intercepted from a Nuigini Aviation charter place which landed into Port Moresby from Kokoda.

The two suspects Chimbu man and Wabag woman are now detained at the Airport Station waiting to be handed over to the NCDC Buai Enforcement unit.