There has been a gradual increase in drug trafficking from the Indonesian border, Southern Highlands, Gulf, Telefomin and Australian borders into Western Province, says North Fly Police commander, Silva Sika.
He revealed recently that those involved in transporting marijuana, among other drugs, were mostly youths and some elderly men residing in the most remote villages located right inside unreachable mountainous terrain, flood plains and swampy areas of the province.
He said if those transporting route and spots or tip of areas are well monitored, this would reduce the high rate of drug trafficking.
The reason why there is no effective monitoring is because of the lack of logistics like dinghies and manpower to do proper border patrols.
PPC Sika highlighted that with those logistics in place, law and order problems would be reduced.
Meantime, PPC Sika stated that police in the province need help from locals to work together to reduce such practices, which are causing law and order issues in their own communities.
(Article by Jim John – third year UPNG Journalism student)