A ‘Good Friday’ for thugs

By JUNIOR UKAHA
ARMED thugs robbed a shop in East Taraka, Lae on Good Friday while people were celebrating Easter.
Police said about 10 men armed with home-made guns and bush knives walked into a Chinese-owned shop and ordered staff to give them money.
Lae metropolitan operations Commander Insp Fred Kaiwa yesterday confirmed the incident and said police were investigating.
“The incident happened between 1pm and 2pm on Friday. Our men responded to the robbery but the robbers had already fled with an undisclosed sum of money,” Kaiwa said.
Kaiwa said fortunately no one was killed or injured during the robbery which lasted less than 10 minutes.
“We believe that the suspects are based in the Taraka area and are hiding there,” Kaiwa said.
He said the Taraka area was a crime hotspot in Lae and police were combing the area for the thugs.
In another incident over the Easter weekend, a nasty fight erupted between two groups of people at the Nadzab market in Markham, Morobe, after a man hit another with a bush knife.
Police said the brawl happened after the victim stoned the suspect’s vehicle and broke its windscreen between 2pm and 3pm near the Nadzab Market area.
Both men are said to be from Gabsongkec village, Nadzab, Markham.
The victim is recovering at the Angau Memorial Hospital while the suspect is detained at the Lae Police Station, according to police.
“The situation is quiet after police intervened,” Kaiwa said.
“Lae metro police have taken over the matter after the locals refused to allow the PPC and his men to handle the matter,” he said.
Kaiwa said the men were related and investigations would proceed if they wanted police to deal with the matter.