Break down on first job

A POLICE boat sent for Covid-19 operations along the PNG-Indonesian-Australian border in South Fly, Western, broke down on its first outing, water police director Chief Insp John Bana-Koiri says.
“PPV Baki II developed mechanical problems after the water pump sucked in muddy water when transporting police and soldiers along the Fly River on its first run last week,” he said.
“And the spare parts with an engineer will be flown to Daru on Saturday to fix it.
“Hopefully, by next week, PPV Baki II will be up and running again.
“While awaiting for it to be fixed, water police are conducting awareness in communities on Daru on coronavirus prevention and basic hygiene.”
Insp Bana-Koiri said PPV Baki II and a small boat (RHIB) were deployed two weeks ago with 10 water policemen to assist the joint border agency team police the waters along the southern Indonesian border and Australian border.
Meanwhile, Daru-based police officers requesting anonymity said it was poor planning at the National Covid-19 Operations Centre in Port Moresby to send PPV Baki II.
“This boat is not suitable to be used in the muddy rivers and swamps in the district,” one of them said.
“There are mud banks in the rivers.
“Also the sea is full of sandbanks.
“The crew that came straight from Port Moresby are not familiar in navigating the waterways in the district.
“A local police officer should have been engaged with the water police.”
Although PPV Baki II has advanced navigation equipment such as GPS and radar, these equipment can only pick up solid items like logs and stones but not mud and silt.
“That was how PPV Baki II developed mechanical problems because the water pump sucked in mud silt along the river.”