1.2kg of marijuana confiscated, man arrested

By JAMES GUMUNO
A FATHER of three from Hela allegedly trying to smuggle 1.2kg marijuana on an Air Niugini flight out of Kagamuga Airport to Port Moresby has been arrested and locked up by Mt Hagen police.
He is to appear in court on Friday.
The man, from Pinake village in the Tari/Pori district, was arrested on Thursday morning at Kagamuga.
He was charged with possession and carrying dangerous drug under Section 3 of the Dangerous Drug Act.
Joe Uin, the Highlands regional airport operations manager, yesterday commended National Airport Cooperation security and airport police for the arrest.
Uin warned travellers planning to smuggle illegal goods on Air Niugin flights out of Kagamuga to think twice and refrain from doing so.
Police arresting officer and officer in-charge of the Criminal Investigation Division at Kagamuga Detective Constable Collin Poiya, said the accused had already checked in and was about to board the plane when arrested. He said the man walked through the screening point with a military bag in hand when he was asked to put his bag on the table for a final check. It was then that 500 grams of marijuana was allegedly found, packed neatly and covered with a shirt.
Poiya said that when police further questioned the accused, he said that it was for security reasons that he had given the bag and another vegetable bag to a young boy from Tari residing near Kagamuga to deliver to him in the morning before his departure.
Poiya said that they also searched the vegetable bag and discovered another 700 grams of marijuana neatly packed and placed among the vegetables.