Police in Manus Province have reported three separate armed holdups on Sunday morning.
Provincial Police Commander, chief inspector David Yapu, said the first incident occurred at the Lorengau Provincial Hospital.
He said six suspects, armed with a factory made .22 rifle, homemade guns, a bush knife and axe, held up a driver of the hospital.
They stole the hospital vehicle from him and drove off to ward 3, Lorengau town.
The suspects abandoned the hospital vehicle at ward 3 and held up another victim and stole a hire vehicle, a 10-seater, from him.
“The suspects fired a shot in the air and drove off with the vehicle,” said the PPC.
“They drove to Lorengau Enterprise Ltd, a shop owned by a Bangladeshi, at ward 5.
“They held up the manager and the workers and ransacked the shop; stealing cash, mobile phones, smokes, flex cards and store goods.
“The suspects escaped through the front door of the shop and exchanged gunfire with police, who arrived at the scene.
“The shootout lasted for five minutes when police shot and wounded one of the suspects in the vehicle.
“They took off at high speed towards Cancer Hill and ran into the bush.”
The suspects are still at large but their identities are known to police.
“They are local criminal elements from Ward Six, Cancer Hill and Kolwin,” stated PPC Yapu.
He appealed to local leaders and the community to assist police and have the suspects surrender.
“Otherwise, we will go out in full force to hunt them down, and we mean business.”
PPC Yapu has advised the hospital and health centres to look out for a wounded person.