Highlands Highway drivers cautioned

Highlands Highway drivers and their owners are cautioned against breaching SOE directives.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Peter Guinness, said drivers must adhere to their company policies when transporting essential goods into the highlands as police will not tolerate their non-compliance.

“Drivers and the owners of the big trucks must take heed of orders that have been made. There is no excuse of being ignorant and arrogant,” said ACP Guinness.

“We are enforcing those orders and if they continue breaching those orders, they will pay the price under those laws. This is enough. We are talking about a global coronavirus pandemic and not a simple police operation check.

"The world is coming to a standstill and here, we are continuously doing our own errands all over the place.”

He issued the warning after police personnel at the Kassam Pass checkpoint searched and seized betelnut and mustards from a highway driver on Tuesday, while his vehicle has been impounded.

Guinness warned that those vehicles who transport these illegal items will be impounded and the owners will also be penalised.

Guinness, who is also the Morobe Provincial COVID-19 response team chairman, said as far he is concerned, the roadblocks at his end – from Wara Market near Usino Junction in Madang, Kassam and Daulo Pass – will be manned until the SoE is over.

“You may think it sounds silly and stupid to check those vehicles who commute the highway but our own people are very, very arrogant. There’s nothing much you can do but seriously impose those orders,” the Divisional Commander said.

(Betelnut bags being destroyed at Goroka Police Station recently)

Author: 
Press release