13 foreigners arrested
A TOTAL of 13 foreigners have been arrested and locked up at the Mt Hagen Police Station for breaching Papua New Guinea’s immigration laws and work permit regulations, an official says.
Immigration and Border Security Minister Westly Nukundj said members of a joint special investigation team conducted a surprise inspection on all foreign-owned businesses operating in Jiwaka.
The investigation team comprised PNG Immigration and Citizenship Authority and detectives from the police national fraud and anti-corruption directorate, with the support of the Labour Department, was part of the on-going investigations into the fake visa scandal.
Nukundj said all 13 foreigners were released on bail after paying K65,000 (K5,000 bail each) and would appear before the Mt Hagen District Court as investigations continue.
He said all foreigners were also charged and issued infringement notices by the Labour Department and a total of K84,000 was collected simultaneously as fines after being locked up.
Nukundj said on Friday that the team conducted checks on several foreign-owned retail businesses and one mattress manufacturing factory in Mt Hagen.
He said four foreign businesses were served with infringement notices by Labour inspectors accompanied by Immigration officers and a total of K120,000 in fines were issued for breach of the Employment of Non-Citizens Act 2007.
Nukundj said a total of K204,000 in fines would be collected.
He added that the investigation was part of a major crack down on foreigners engaged in disreputable activities around the country.
“This is the second arrest after the investigation was sanctioned.
“Two weeks ago a total of 21 foreigners were arrested during an operation in Northern,” he said.
“These foreigners were later released on bail.”
13 comments
Well done! Immigration and Border Security Minister Westly Nukund and your team,this is a very good sign of taking back PNG so please look further in to this mattress manufacturing factory in Mt Hagen,are they really following business regulation here in PNG or they were operating illegally at their back yard…
Thanks Honorable Wesley Nukundj Timing is right, we applaud your great work, this Nation is for Papua New Guineans, not for Toms & Harry’s, these nation has been sold out, time to take back..go to all the provinces, will find a lot, One more time appreciate the great work you are doing…
Dear Minister Nukundj,
if you or one of your officers are reading this, I am officially inviting your ministry to carry out another special operation in Eastern Highlands Province. As you enter EHP, be sure to monitor the PMV travelling out of EHP on that day to catch any foreigners that might escape…like they did the last time such an operation was carried out.
TAKING BACK PNG AT WORK!!!
Way to go! And also, please investigate and arrest those officer in the immigration section who issued them passes to enter the country. They would not come in without our (internal) aid. Check ourselves as well.. Otherwise, thank you.
How did they come into our country to do these illegal business activities without proper legal documents? We allow them..the politicians, public servants, and the locals through bribery and corrupt deals. In the first place people are aware of these illegal activities. It is growing its roots over time now and the government should take action to remove all these illegal activities in our country. Go to other centres and do the same.
salute Minister for job well done..can we send illegal people away, and ban entry completely?
Please check the other provinces as well and keep up the good work. After investigation and found guilty please have them deported. If this was in their own country they would treat us with no mercy at all. “Yumi ol lain blo sori so umi save easi long ol”. Have them deported and whoever is responsible of bringing them in and employing them should be heavily penalized, close off the business and have them deported.
PNG is capable and is and can do what these Asians are doing please check all the provinces.
Thumbs up to the Minister and the team… There are more ASIANS doing illegal entries through bribery because they know that they can make fast money in PNG where our LAWS are ineffective systematically. Please check other centers as well. Goroka is run by ASIANS so please give them a surprise tap on their back.
Foreigners with illegal entry and illegal businesses must forfeit all assets back to PNG and be deported without prosecution back to their country of origin and be banned from returning back into PNG. Those who breach this law must be fed to crocodiles without prosecution.
The PNG Immigration office should also be investigated to determine how / on what basis these Asians were allowed to enter the country in the first place and they should be held equally accountable.
Please check all the province and district as well, some are hiding in district with fake visas / work permits.
PNG immigration office needs to assigned officers to every district to conduct / investigate on all foreign operated business in PNG.
Thumps up to people involve in this operation.
It’s time to take back PNG
Mr Minister,Nukundi your effort and planning in your Department have put you in the front now that your effort to take back PNG back show itself of how you have organised your staffs with the help of other Govt DEPT also,YOU A THE RIGHT MAN FOR THIS MINISTRY,also please make some internal investigation on how this illegal immigrant have enter our country if our senior officers involve in one way or other PLEASE Prosecute and may this will be your LEGACY and the country will say that you have done this when you a gone,SET A STRAIGHT RECORD FOR YOU MINISTER.well done Mr Wesley Nukundi.
Impose tougher penalty on them,Charges must be higher than K10,000 or more for single person.
Job well done.BK is one of them.All departments to check their areas and weed out corruption.
Comments are closed.