I REFER to the report “Illegal gambling in WHP a concern” and the letter by FG Simbaix on Jan 29.
Both relate to the same issue – high-low gambling.
The Asian invented high-low lottery shops are now spreading rapidly in the Highlands region.
Last year and early this month, officers from the Immigration Division of Foreign Affairs Department and the Mt Hagen police conducted a joint operation to rid illegal aliens.
During the raid, they came across illegal aliens running the high-low outlets in Banz, Kudjip, Minj, Kerowagi, Kundiawa and Mt Hagen.
Most of the Asians arrested for illegal entry were operators of the high-low gambling outlets.
One thing that struck the raiding party was that local landlords were harbouring the Asians.
They offered their trade stores and land to the Asians to run the illegal gambling, making it hard for the officers to make arrests.
Some of the aliens, who were arrested last year and out on bail, are protected by these landlords and community leaders.
During a raid in Kerowagi last year, the locals took these illegal aliens and operators of the gambling shops into hiding.
The concern raised by the leaders of the North and South Waghi districts, including FG Simbaix concerning the negative implication of the high-low game should have been combated earlier.

Kondal Koki
Wara Kala, WHP