Piracy

Wewak police have confirmed that three dead bodies were found at sea and were taken to the Boram General Hospital morgue in Wewak. Police said they are yet to establish the cause of the incident.
 
Boram Hospital's Morgue man Albert Kingu informed this newsroom that the three bodies were that of two women, one from Yangoru and the other from Maprik, East Sepik Province and the third person is a male from Usino Bundi, Madang. 

Kingu said the dead bodies were brought in yesterday afternoon. 

The lone survivor has spoken out about the ordeal that he and his passengers faced when the six armed men happened upon them on the evening of January 13.

Simea said they were all forced off the boat, and the armed robbers made off with the boat and belongings.

Simea recalled that around 3pm he left Madang Town with eight passengers for Saidor. He said while they were travelling towards Tabali Point, they saw another 23-footer boat some distance away. Passengers on that boat were signaling him to stop. It was about 5pm already.

Manus Provincial Police Commander Chief Inspector David Yapu issued the warning following the arrest of youths who stole from MV Manus.

Owned by Papindo Trading, the ship captain and his wife were held up, assaulted and had items worth K4,779 stolen on Sunday.

The vessel was anchored near Rara Island when the suspects, who are known to police, held it up.

One arrest has been made, with more expected to follow.

According to police, the seafarer, from Manus Province, and a few of his friends were traveling on a dinghy to Motukea when they were attacked last week.

He was slashed at sea where he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries that same day. 

Information is still sketchy at this time but it is believed that the perpetrators are from the nearby Tatana and Baruni areas.

CID homicide are now on the case with leads that cannot be disclosed.

This dangerous scenario was echoed in Parliament this morning by Police Minister Robert Atiyafa who said the Police water unit is non-functioning.

Kairuku – Hiri MP, Peter Isoaimo during Question Time asked if local police had boats to chase people committing the act of piracy, after a recent murder of a man from Roku Village within the waters near Port Moresby.  

Roku village is inside the electorate boundary of Isoaimo’s electorate.