Lae Police boss

Lae police boss, Anthony Wagambie Jnr, reported that between four to five men held up a driver and took his vehicle.

“The owner of the vehicle was threatened and forcefully escorted to a secluded area at the back of Peter Block Kamkumung,” stated the chief superintendent.

“The criminals were planning to hold the vehicle owner as hostage while they use his vehicle to commit robbery at a nearby shop.”

The first was a suspect involved in a murder at Vee Street, Top Town earlier this year.

CID Lae has been looking for him for some time as he had gone into hiding.

With the help of community residents on information, police were able to locate him East Taraka on Thursday night around 10 pm.

The raid and apprehension of the suspect was a joint effort between the Omili police, SRU 103 and the CID.

Two other suspects who had escaped from Buimo Correctional Services were also apprehended by police.

China Town Police in Lae caught Grade 8 students consuming alcohol.

According to Lae police this was after their MOCK Exams earlier this week.

“This is what some children get up to.”

Lae police boss, Anthony Wagambie Jnr is appealing to parents to take responsibility of their children by finding out where their children are.

“This is just one of many incidences like this.”

The students were apprehended by Police, detained and referred to Lae Police Juvenile Justice Unit.

Seven remadees made a dash for freedom from within the prison compound as they were moving about during lunch hour.

All seven remadees were in custody for various serious offences, mostly armed robbery. Wagambie says, of the seven, two of the escapees were shot and died of their wounds just beyond the prison compound vicinity whilst they were trying to escape.

Police were alerted and assisted in blocking off escape routes.

 “It was quite difficult to identify the escapees as they are remandees and do not wear prison uniforms and not groomed,” says Wagambie.

He was named by the owner of the vehicle, a 57 year old HR Manager now remanded in custody of picking up the vehicle which was later used in the Lae International Hotel robbery.

According to Lae police Boss, Anthony Wagambie Jnr, around 8pm on Saturday night, police moved into the area on foot and surround him and a group of friends who were consuming alcohol at a field.

“The suspect (Junior Panta) from a mix parentage of East New Britain and AROB was apprehended by police and locked up in police cells”.

According to Lae Police boss, Anthony Wagambie Jnr, the three men have been carrying out their activities for more than five years.

He said they used company cheques to either do large orders from wholesale shops or stationary

He added that they also used company cheques to do Pay Cash cheques and withdraw money from the bank without the company management’s consent.