This month has seen an increase in the number of armed robberies in Lae, Morobe Province.
Three shops were held up within a week, with Lae’s acting police boss urging drivers to be cautious as vehicles were being hijacked to aid in the criminals’ escape.
The most recent incident was on Monday, February 12th, where a group of armed men, wearing school uniforms from Bugandi and Lae secondary, held up the CHM Tech Haus at Top Town. They took laptops, cameras and mobile phones, putting them in what is commonly called ‘market bags’; woven polypropylene sacks that were initially cut out from rice bags or chicken stockfeed.
The men then came out and held up a white 15-seater bus that was parked outside the Catholic Church. This was around 9.30am. Bystanders fled in fear when they saw the suspects with their firearms.
A few days before that, on Saturday, February 10th, between 3 and 3.30pm, a group of armed men made off with a substantial amount of money from the PUMA fuel station at Snack Bar.
Lae acting metropolitan superintendent, Snr Inspector James Luan, said the group – numbering around 7 or 8 suspects – used a stolen Toyota Harrier as their getaway vehicle.
“At this stage now, the investigation is continuing and we’re working on the CCTV footage to establish the identities of the suspects,” he stated.
For the CHM robbery, at least three suspects have been identified.
“We have another incident that happened; break-and-enter and stealing. After that break-and-enter and stealing, there was a killing that happened there,” said Luan.
“A group of youths – about 40 to 50 – went to East Taraka, held up a store and stole everything in the store. They ransacked the store and stole all the store goods. Whilst on their way out, the community there retaliated. One of the young men was shot dead by the group of suspects.
“The community retaliated again on Friday (Feb 9), and there was a second death. A youth was killed. So, there were two deaths at that location. Houses were burnt down from where the suspects came and did the break-and-enter.
“The situation is still tense. Our community police officers are monitoring and talking to the community there, trying to establish the identity of the suspects, who we believe are from the Butu settlement at the back of East Taraka.”
Luan outlined that most times, sedans and 15-seater buses are stolen to aid criminals.
“That’s the mode that the criminals are now using,” he continued.
“I appeal to the owners of taxis and PMV buses, they have to advise their drivers or crews to be cautious of people coming and approaching them, or people getting on the buses. They pretend to be passengers but they are not really passengers. Crews have to be more vigilant. If any suspicious person, report it quickly to the police. Call our toll free or if you have any numbers belonging to police men or women, call and report suspicious people.
“If you start reporting people who are looking suspicious within the city, that will help us to deter crime from being conducted.”