Lae Police

In a press briefing this afternoon, Assistant Commissioner of Police - Northern Command, Peter Guinness, said opportunists did not fear for their lives when they rushed to break into shops and business houses. 

“Several of those would-be looters were shot and they’re now at the morgue; four confirmed dead and eight casualties,” ACP Guinness told Lae media in the presence of the Morobe Provincial Administrator, Max Bruten, and the team leaders of the joint forces. 

Assistant Commissioner of Police for Northern Command, Peter Guinness, said police and the provincial administration hosted two separate meetings yesterday with the ethnic groups involved.

The ethnic clash at Nawaeb Block reportedly started early this week in relation to an armed holdup.

During the confrontation, ACP Guinness said both sides suffered a death each.

“An electrical engineer, from Simbu, was killed while a Southern Highlands Grade 12 student was also killed. Houses and vehicles were burnt as well.

Magistrate Lorna Sani issued the direction when police prosecutor, Vincent Suakai, did not prove that the two vehicles, belonging to Lamadeb Holdings Ltd, were needed for investigations in the K35 million methamphetamine case.

The defendants in relation to the ‘Bulolo black flight’ are Levi Wartovo, Hoseah Tarere, Steven Temen, Joshua Tupana, Luke Meda, Alfred Sanage and Ning (Lin) Hezhong.

Morobe Provincial Administrator, Max Bruten, stressed on the need to create a conducive environment for business to thrive, which would lead to economic growth and poverty reduction. 

“I advised the honourable governor and my team that, in order for us to have a conducive environment, or create an enabling environment for investors to come in, we must get law and order right,” he stated.

“To get law and order right is to ensure we support policing in the province.”

Following the arrest of two female Chinese nationals yesterday, Metropolitan Superintendent, Chris Kunyanban, said in cases like this, police work with sister agencies like Customs, Immigration and the Internal Revenue Commission.

“Investigation is still going on, we want to establish or ascertain as to how those products came in – through Customs or they brought in the different raw substances to manufacture the soap here in the country,” said Chief Superintendent Kunyanban.

DPM Rosso says police foot beat patrols at Eriku, Top Town and Main Market have minimised petty crimes, street vending and commuters have been able to move around freely and safely.

“I would like to say thank you and appreciate the new reserve police men; approximately a hundred members who are currently doing foot beat and attending to petty crimes and illegal vending in our city.

“They have recently passed out from a comprehensive training program over three months. This is a partnership between the Lae City Authority and the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.”

Lae metropolitan superintendent, Chris Kunyanban, is urging the Government to consider a win-win solution for both business houses and PNG citizens.

Less than 400 police officers patrol the suburbs of Lae city.

Chief superintendent Kunyanban said police had to standby at Mainland Holdings starting Monday, the 30^th of August, when the CEO and a safety officer were attacked.

It was business as usual on Monday morning for gold buying company, Golden Valley Enterprise.

Lae metropolitan superintendent, Chris Kunyanban, said the employees were on their usual business run when they were ambushed near the company premises.

“They attacked them and got K25,000 in cash and when the security intervened to stop the robbers, he was shot at and he is now hospitalised,” said chief supt Kunyanban.

Chinatown and Bumbu residents claimed that suspects from an armed robbery had surrendered after a shootout at Bumbu between 10 and 11pm. The residents alleged that in spite of that, the suspects were killed by police.

Lae metropolitan superintendent, Chris Kunyanban, refuted the allegations, saying after robbing a gold buyer at Markham Haus, market area, police chased the suspects, where a shootout ensued from the Lae Yacht Club down to the Pistol Club towards Bumbu.

“There was no surrender of suspects during the encounter,” stated Chief Superintendent Kunyanban.

Security guards manning the Asian-owned shop, called ‘Oriental’, reported that a large group aggressively approached the outlet at around 8.30am and started vandalising it.

“The guards were here but the crowd approached and we started moving them,” Simon Haruma said. 

“Two of our vehicles that were here radioed to the base and reinforcements arrived.”

A warning shot was issued to disperse the crowd, where the armed guards moved in to secure the shop.

Two suspects have been apprehended and handed over to police. One of them was caught whilst in the shop.