Robbery

Gang unknowingly attempts robbery on police

On Sunday, at about 3am, a Special Response Unit (SRU) 103 team was on routine patrol along Kamkumung road, in Lae, when they came across about five suspects.

The five suspects came out of Waterloo area and attempted an armed robbery on the patrol unit by blocking the road. 

“They ran away in all directions when they realised it was the Police,” said the Lae metropolitan command.

Another suspect in cigarette robbery caught

Suspect Ishmael Omohae, 41, from Aivau village, Ihu District in Gulf Province, was caught conveying cartons of the stolen cigarettes on 21 January 2019 in a white CRV motor vehicle.

This happened two days after Choulai Wholesale at Badili reported that their delivery truck loaded with 150 cartons of Cambridge cigarettes worth K1.5 million was allegedly held up by criminals in a dark blue five door and a brown ten seater, who stole all the cartons of cigarettes.

Armed thugs rob ATM

Milne Bay Acting Provincial Police Commander, Chief Inspector George Baiyagau, said the robbers targeted the estate’s BSP ATM machine and made away with cash in the ATM.

Chief Inspector Baiyagau said the robbery took place at 3am.

He said the seven fully armed suspects used a chainsaw to cut through the estate’s wooden fence to gain access, then held up the security guards and proceeded to use the chainsaw to cut open a shop’s door.

They then used the chainsaw again to cut around the wall that was holding the BSP ATM, which was in the store.

Locals injure robbery suspects

Western Highlands Provincial Police Commander, Jacob Kamiak, said the three had recently broken into a Chinese shop next to the Best Buy Supermarket, held up the shop owner, stole one laptop, two mobile phones worth over K2,000 and walked out with K24,000 cash.

The suspects were later apprehended by the property’s landlord and his boys.

PPC Kamiak said the suspects were beaten badly then handed over to police.

The PPC said the three will be formally arrested and charged after medical examination and treatment.

Shop robbed off K20,000

The shop is located near Lae’s main market area.

According to Lae Police, the men walked into the shop, held up the workers and took away K20,000 cash before escaping in the company van.

The vehicle was abandoned at Papuan Compound.

Lae’s Metropolitan Command’s Sector Response Unit and the CID followed up and apprehended one of the suspects.

He then led them to another suspect who had in his possession a factory made six-round pistol.

More arrests are expected soon.

Police to interview V.C Guards

The NCD Superintendent Operations, Michael Tilae, says that three of the guards that exchanged fire with the suspects will be brought in for questioning.

He says that most likely they may be charged for Unlawful discharge of fire-arms, depending on what investigations uncover.

Tilae said that the guards had injured several people in their exchange of fire with the suspects, hence police will need to establish the next course of action.

Youth asks court for mercy

Yesterday he apologised in court and to the victim of his crime, which was committed at the Two-Mile hill bus stop.

The Koki to Two-Mile route is one where many women and mothers have fallen victim to armed hold ups while commuting on PMVs.

Yesterday, Toho Peter, a youth who lived at the Two-Mile settlement, appeared at the Waigani National Court where he admitted to robbing a policewoman who was in a bus on 7 April last year.

His guilty plea was accepted by the court.

Details of deceased robbery suspects established

The three robbery suspects were gunned down on April 2 while a fourth was seriously wounded on his leg following a gunfight with police.

Two of the men reside in Lae, one from Northern Province while the other from Morobe, and have both served time for various offences. 

The third, going by the nickname of ‘Whitey’ of Milne Bay and Madang parentage, had been on the run from Milne Bay police following a series of criminal activities committed in the province.

Robbery suspects gunned down

The suspects had been involved in an armed robbery of an Asian shop owner at Downtown Lae around 9am yesterday (April 2).

The suspects were intercepted by a traffic police unit when they tried to escape in a Sedan.

The unit was in the area and was alerted by gun shots fired by the suspects, who wounded the Chinese national and a security guard.

Lae metropolitan superintendent, Commander Anthony Wagambie Junior, said the traffic police promptly contacted all units, who then blocked off possible escape routes.

Shop owner injures robbery suspect

The man and two other suspects were apprehended by the Lae police and will be facing charges related to the armed robbery.

The wounded suspect was identified as a man from Yangoru, East Sepik, while the other two are from Morobe Province.

They are all from the Miles area in Lae.

The Lae metropolitan superintendent, commander Anthony Wagambie Jnr, said the three men were part of at least a ten-man gang armed with machetes and home-made guns.

The group had attempted to rob the shop but they did not anticipate that the owner would have a pistol.