Locals help police, NCDC capture betel nut smugglers

 LOCALS are now involved with the National Capital District (NCDC) police and betel nut enforcers to monitor the Laloki River for smugglers.

Bags of betel nuts were seized along the river after some people tried to smuggle them into the city.

NCD Governor Powes Parkop said he was aware of this.

“Locals are helping us to monitor and stop those who are trying to cross the river with bags of betel nuts,” he said.

He said he would verify information later but believed that dinghies were going through the coast to the city. 

“On Tuesday, I got a message via text about a third level airline that had brought betel nuts from the Gulf province,” Parkop said.

“I got advised and alerted by our enforcers but the plane got delayed at Kerema so our enforcers missed the arrival.”

He said they were aware about where and with whom the betel nuts ended up and an arrest would be made soon.

“Port Moresby is not a big city and betel nuts are hard to conceal. We will catch them,” Parkop said. 

To avoid lining up at the checkpoint at the Laloki Bridge, some people have developed tactics to use the river and other routes.