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Shoot out in Lae
By SAMPSON BONAI
ONE man was killed, two others hospitalised
and another three are in police custody following a gun battle in the
Morobe capital city of Lae yesterday.
The exchange of gunfire brought all businesses and traffic along
Aircorps and Milfordhaven roads to a standstill as workers rushed out to
join pedestrians to witness the drama unfolding before their eyes.
The drama happened at about 10am when a gang of six young men tried to
hold up a RH Wholesale vehicle at the gate.
The gang was not aware that they were spotted by a Mobile unit, which
was refueling at the BP service station, about 20m from the supermarket.
“The youths were armed with a home-made shotgun and we believe they were
planning to rob the RH vehicle as it was driving out of the car park,”
Lae police commander Chief Superintendent Simon Kauba said.
He said when the gang opened fire on the driver of the vehicle; members
of the police Mobile 13 reacted instantaneously while calling for
back-up from all police units in Lae.
“When the gang failed in their bid to hold up the RH vehicle, they ran
across the road and commandeered a dump truck and took off towards
Markham Road,” he said.
Police units, responding to the call for back-up, pursued the gang along
the Markham Road towards St Paul’s Primary School and the showground.
“The fugitives opened fire on the pursuing policemen during the chase,”
Chief Supt Kauba said.
He said police returned fire and shot dead one of the gang members.
He said the driver panicked and lost control of the vehicle and crashed
it into the drain.
“The surviving gang members attempted to escape on foot but they were
swamped by the policemen and three of them were wounded in the legs and
later apprehended.
The dead man was hauled onto an ambulance while the two gang members who
were injured were assisted onto another ambulance and taken to the Angau
Memorial Hospital.
Duty staff at the accident and emergency ward confirmed receiving the
injured persons and the body of the dead man but could not give further
details.
 
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