Cops arrest, detain alleged kidnappers

By SHEILA LASIBORI
POLICE have detained several people believed to be involved in the recent kidnapping of an Italian gold dealer and his wife in Port Moresby.
They arrested the men, who included a regular customer of the dealer, in a raid on a house in Boroko yesterday and also seized about K280,000 in cash.
The customer had earlier visited the couple’s office to sell them some gold bars.
The gold dealer recognised the bars as the ones that the kidnappers had taken from him in exchange for releasing him and his Filipina wife.
However, he kept his cool.
When the man left with the money, he alerted the police who rushed over to the house.
It is understood that the man works for the office of an MP.
The couple were kidnapped on Nov 2 and held captive for two nights.
Throughout the ordeal, they were blindfolded.
On the second night, they were taken to their shop where they were forced to open the safe which kept about K300,000 worth of gold bar and K200,000 in cash.
The couple were later released near Baruni village.
It is believed that the kidnappers approached a man who helped got rid of the gold.
The man referred them to the dealer’s customer.