The fishing boat, of Asian origin, has now stirred up fear amongst islanders as the boat’s crew is suspected of being in possession of firearms.
A disaster coordinator on Bougainville said the ship was sighted by locals and has been there for quite a while now.
“We received the report and alerted the police here in Buka, a joint task force was formed consisting of members of the Bougainville Police Service and ex-combatants, who were then deployed to inspect and do reconnaissance work,” Franklyn Lacey said.