By SHEILA LASIBORI
THE curbing of law and order issues in Oro province have become just as important as the relief efforts during the State of Emergency (SoE).
Security forces on deployment to the flood devastated province have been conducting raids on alleged homebrewing locations, making sure traffic regulations were maintained, relief supplies were equally distributed and most importantly checks have been conducted on the passengers on board passenger vessels to Popondetta.
There has also been a “close watch” on people claiming to be followers of alleged cult movement Puwo Gawe after relief goods were reportedly removed by some alleged followers.
The police have taken on these tasks and many people, especially male youths have not been lucky as a result of homebrew and drug marijuana related offences.
A 19-year-old youth who claimed to be a Grade 10 student from a prominent secondary school in Morobe province ended up in police custody at Kikiri, upon his arrival from Lae onboard on Solomon Queen.
The youth from Simbai in Madang province was detained after police sighted two parcels of marijuana in a bag that allegedly belonged to him.
Commander of the Port Moresby-based mobile squad (MS 2), who wished to remain anonymous, said they had been conducting such checks on in-coming vessels in their attempts to enforce SoE orders in relation to alcohol.
Many travellers had to give up their purchased alcohol to police while those with drugs have given themselves up to police.
Police alleged that the youth while being transported onboard an outboard motor from the vessel to Kikiri beach, sighted police officers on the beach and so reportedly three the bag of drugs to an elderly woman.
But upon arrival on the beach, during normal police check and upon discovering the bag of drugs, they questioned the woman who revealed alleging that the bag belonging to the young man.
“We want the travelling public to see that this province (Oro) is under the SoE and we are doing everything we can to restore normalcy and we do not want all sorts of problems and bad things coming in to deter the restoration efforts,” the commander said.