Change in crime trend a concern

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
The first National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate director, retired assistant police commissioner John Toguata, says white-collar crime in the country has advanced over the past 20 years.
“My time it was different. We were investigating stealing under false pretence, forging false documents and so on. Now white collar criminals are very educated and are more sophisticated with the use of cybercrime and state-of-the-art technologies,” he said.
Toguata, who was director in 1985, said during the closing of a Money-Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act workshop in Port Moresby on Thursday: “The fraud squad was formed in 1975 and an expatriate was looking after it and I took over. But then, 20 years ago crime was different. Today everyone is educated. They go to university, technical colleges; they know how to operate computers.”
Toguata is now a consultant for the Justice Service and Stability Development Programme.
Meanwhile, director Chief Superintendent Mathew Damaru said the focus during the weeklong workshop was money laundering.
“Crime trend has changed in PNG and is getting more sophisticated and making our work difficult and Parliament has come up with the legislation to help us to control this new trend which is getting out of hand,” Damaru said.
“This workshop is to make the detectives aware that there is a Proceeds of Crime Act. You have leant and some big cases are coming up for you to put your training into good use.”