By SHEILA LASIBORI
AN AIRCRAFT carrying with it about K5million belonging to the Bank South Pacific was hijacked after it took off from the Jackson Airport yesterday morning.
It was a well planned robbery, apparently involving the two men who were supposed to provide security for the cash being transported to Kiunga and Tabubil in the Western province.
The money was packed in three bullet proof trunk boxes and taken on board with the two guards of BSP attached with the security division, one of whom is reportedly a reserve police officer believed to be from the Highlands.
But the robbery was foiled by quick action by the pilots, Civil Aviation Authority officials, police and others involved in tracking down the plane.
The money was recovered from the plane, which was forced to land at Fisherman Island, while the pilots were rescued.
But in an exchange of gunfire with police, one of the hijackers was killed near Roku village along the Motuan coastline on the outskirts of Port Moresby.
Police arrested two men – one was with the two expatriate pilots on Fisherman Island together with the money boxes, while the other from Central was caught at Altas Steel police post at a roadblock.
He was driving what police suspect to be the getaway vehicle belonging to a known criminal.
Police also confiscated a pump action shotgun and a semi automatic Sig pistol.
The gang members carried out their plan dressed in police field gear.
Police Commissioner Gari Baki said in a statement last night that about 110 police officers were deployed to hunt down the hijackers and their associates, and some of the policemen were camped in the vicinity of Roku village last night to pursue two gang members still at large.
The hijack drama, the rescue operation and the ‘cops and robbers’ scene started when at about 9.45am, a King air C90 aircraft, operated by Tropicair Limited, left the Jackson aerodrome enroute to Kiunga and Tabubil.
About 10km out from Port Moresby, the Civil Aviation Authority’s air traffic controllers (ATC) noted on the screen of the radar that the aircraft had changed course and was flying west off its flight path.
This was after one of the escorts pointed a pump action gun at one of the pilots indicating that the aircraft had been hijacked.
“When trying to verify this with the pilot the traffic controllers observed a special electronic signal on the screen indicating that the aircraft was in distress (hijack),” CAA director Joseph Kintau said. Apparently, the pilots had triggered the device.
Soon after the signal was received, Mr Kintau said the aircraft disappeared from the radar and communication between ATC and the aircraft was cut off.
“The last observed position was the aircraft tracking towards Daugo airstrip on Fisherman Island,” he said.
Police picked up the emergency call through the Boroko operations centre when CAA contacted them and briefly gave the new route of the aircraft.
Police units on the ground were informed and a road block was set up along the Porebada road.
A fixed wing aircraft, the police helicopter “Eye in the Sky” and a Helifix helicopter, and two boats from Defence Force were engaged to move into the area where the plane had landed.
After the plane landed, police moved in an arrested one of the suspects, who was with three bags of money.
Another was shot in an exchange of gunfire while two others are still at large.
“My men are out searching the hillsides and mangroves. It is only a matter of time before the other two are captured,” Mr Baki said.
He said police believed the person arrested in the vehicle at the roadblock was the mastermind of the robbery attempt.