Drug possession

The drug weighting 3.4kg worth around 40 to 50 thousand kina street value.

The men are now in the police cell and expected to appear before the Kiunga District Court today Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

They are being charged under new amended Dangerous Drug Act.

North Fly MP and Vice Minister for Mining & Border Development, James Donald, commended the police for the job well done.

Arnold Jonathan, from Yangoru in East Sepik Province, told Senior Provincial Magistrate Pious Tapil this morning at the Committal Court that on January 16^th, he was in the vicinity when police were chasing people at Works Compound during a patrol.

The defendant claimed he was returning from his workplace when he saw the roll of marijuana that was dropped. He pocketed it when he was apprehended by police.

Magistrate Tapil told the defendant that he found it hard to believe that he just found the rolled up drug.

Provincial Police Commander, Chief Inspector David Yapu, said the security team, who were conducting sea patrol and surveillance on COVID-19, were monitoring people travelling from other provinces into Lorengau.

Based on a tip off, they raided a house at Papitalai village, where they recovered the drug cache and arrested the suspect from Maprik.

The drugs have a street value of approximately K10,000.

Thirty-two-year-old Bart Warampi, from Sarakum village, will appear in the Lorengau District Court on April 6^th.

The three were identified as Andrew Onne, Maia Dipo and Paul Kowai all from Tapini in the Goilala District, Central Province.

Senior Constable Perry Kageni of the Special Services Division (SSD) said Magistrate Maristella Painap presided the case at the Boroko District Court on 12th November and sentenced the men.

Senior Constable Kageni said the three men were arrested and charged for being in possession of 24.5kg drug bags at the Nine-Mile Plaza outside Port Moresby.

The police picked up the man after they were alerted by members of the community.

Police report that the 26 year old man, who is living with his Kerema in-laws, is being held for questioning at the 6 mile police station.

The man has been charged with one count of drug possession after he was caught with almost 5kg of pre-packaged marijuana.

In another incident a youth was picked up in the area on Monday (2^nd November) afternoon after he was spotted by police to be under the influence of homebrew alcohol.