Billie raises concerns on human trafficking

By KESSIE TADAP
A SENIOR police officer wants people trafficking given more serious attention by the government, with tougher penalties imposed on offenders.
Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Anthon Billie said while police were aware of such crimes against human rights, they were “barely visible given the insufficient attention by the government”.
He recently returned from a five-week seminar in Japan on crime prevention and criminal justice where he presented a paper titled Trafficking in persons in PNG: An emerging organised transnational criminal activity.
Billie suggested the government quickly enact relevant legislations with tougher penalties to contain people trafficking.
He said officers from police, immigration, customs and the narcotics bureau were fully aware of the existence of activities relating to the crime in the country.
But they are not given sufficient legislative powers to arrest and charge suspects.
He said at the moment, the best they could do to deal with offenders was to use labour and immigration laws to prosecute them.
But the penalties are lenient and do not serve as deterrents.
Government agencies are aware that the country is being increasingly used as a destination and transit point for trafficking and other international criminal activities.
He said the influx of foreigners into the country to work in logging operations, mining and other business activities such as kaibars, restaurants and shops was contributing to the spike in crime.
He claimed some of those involved in such activities sneak in because of the lack of proper screening and control due to poor legislation.
Bribes were also used to bypass official procedures.
For example, he said some got through Customs claiming they could not speak English, showing only their passports and declining to answer questions.
They illegally enter the country then they overstay their visas.
There is a transnational crime unit at Bomana but is not effective because of the lack of legislation to support their work.
Billie said PNG was a party to the Palermo Protocol and was expected to prevent, suppress and punish offenders of people trafficking, especially women and children.
Countries which are party to the PP have ratified it include the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.
“Our failure to implement such international convention will mean negative implications,” he said.
He is also writing a report on the seminar to be given to the police commissioner and will recommend that local units be set up in townships around the country.
Participants at the seminar gave details of the situations in their countries and how they were dealing with them through their justice systems.