The Acting Police Commissioner and Chief of Operations, Dr. Philip Mitna, expressed gratitude to the public and police officers for ensuring a peaceful Easter long weekend in Papua New Guinea.
Dr. Mitna reported that most police commands remained calm, with only a few isolated incidents occurring, which were manageable.
However, there was one unfortunate incident in Daru, Western Province, where a 20-year-old male named David Kowani Miki died under suspicious circumstances while out at sea with members of the PNG Defence Force. This led to looting and damaging of public properties by angry relatives and opportunists in the township. Local police responded quickly and contained the situation. The police are currently investigating the death.
Dr. Mitna emphasized that overall, the number of major incidents reported during the Easter long weekend was lower than in previous years, according to the major incident briefs (MIB) received from the provinces. He urged citizens and police officers to continue to maintain peace and security.
In other provinces, various incidents were reported, such as a serious assault in Central Province, an armed robbery in East New Britain, a break-in and stealing incident at a school in Palnakaur Ward, Western Highlands Province, a case of arson in East Sepik Province, and several violent incidents, including attempted hold-ups and physical assaults, in Morobe Province.
Overall, police were able to contain these incidents and maintain peace and security across the country during the Easter long weekend, and investigations into any criminal activities are currently underway.