Chinese man held over drug bust

By AILEEN KWARAGU
A CHINESE man allegedly involved in a recent drug trafficking case was arrested at Lae’s Nadzab Airport on Wednesday after police tracked him from Bulolo.
Deputy police commissioner, special operations, Donald Yamasombi said the man was allegedly involved in the transportation of 52kgs of methamphetamine to Australia from Bulolo on Tuesday.
He said right after an aircraft took off from Bulolo on Tuesday morning, investigators involved in Operation Gepard tracked and maintained surveillance on properties and persons of interest.
“From the tracking and surveillance we were able to arrest the Chinese national,” Yamasombi said.
“The investigators also executed a search warrant on certain premises yesterday and would expand to other areas in Morobe.
“At this point, we are unable to give information on the progress of the operation because investigations are still afoot.”
Yamasombi, who is also director-general of the National Narcotics Bureau, told journalists in Port Moresby yesterday that the drug legislation only allowed them to conduct awareness on drugs and rehabilitation programmes for drug users.
It followed the arrest of five men allegedly involved in drug trafficking to Australia on Tuesday.
Police Commissioner David Manning said agencies were involved in intercepting the “black flight” through shared intelligence in Operation Gepard involving PNG and Australian police last November.
It led to the arrest of five Australian men in Queensland after the plane arrived from PNG with the drug worth more than AU$15 million (about K35 million).
Meanwhile, Yamasombi said the Chinese man was being interrogated by Lae police.

Top cop: Intel shared in joint operation

By CRETILDA ALOKAKA
POLICE commissioner David Manning says an operation was set up in November to catch people involved in drug trafficking between Papua New Guinea and Australia.
He said that Operation Gepard involved the sharing of intelligence between Australian and PNG police.
It led to the arrest of five men involved in alleged drug trafficking in Australia on Tuesday.
“Both the Australian and PNG police have been sharing information on how to stop people from trafficking any drugs,” he said.
“(It) is a secret operation established to disrupt an alleged criminal syndicate working in PNG and Australia.”
He said the positive outcome of the operation was the close collaboration between the countries’ law enforcement officers.
The operation will continue for the next 12 to 18 months.
He said working with Australian authorities allowed the net to be wider to arrest transnational offenders in PNG and the Pacific.
“With our partners, we (will make) our Pacific region hostile and disruptive to any transnational criminal element,” he said.
“These are intensive investigations that place a huge burden on our police forces in the region.
“We are fighting a war on drugs and such operations have proven to be effective in combatting this type of offence.”
Manning said a similar operation in 2020 saw the pilot of a light aircraft sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.

10 people so far held over meth possession this year

By GEORGINA KOREI
SINCE the beginning of the year, 10 people, including two policemen, appeared before the Committal Court in Waigani charged with being in possession of methamphetamine.
Constable Lawrence Kambilapi, 32, of Wosera, East Sepik, was charged with being in possession of 5.66grams of the drug.
Constable Joshua Yawizah, 30, of Foguwa village, Koroba, Hela was charged with being in possession of methamphetamine implements.
He was granted a K1,000 bail.
Kambilapi was refused bail because Magistrate Albert Daniels said he was on bail for an earlier case.
“The court refused this bail application on the ground that Kambilapi had a pending case of stealing and abuse of office charges, and was out on bail when he (allegedly) committed another offence,” he said.
The case returns to court on March 30.
In a separate case before Magistrate Danny Wakikura in the Committal Court, two Malaysians and two locals were charged with being in possession of 170grams of methamphetamine in November in Port Moresby.
The four were Leong Aunfong, 42, of Pulai, Malaysia; Tan Kheng Soon, 29, of Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia; Daniel Andi, 32, of Apia village, Mendi, Southern Highlands; and, Niaka Viri, of Korobosea.
The matter will return to court on Monday, March 27.
When they were read the charges in January, only Aunfong pleaded guilty.
Isaac Ipatas, 27, from Enga was also in court for being in possession of 1.23grams of methamphetamine on Jan 21 in Port Moresby.
Magistrate Wakikura granted him bail for K1,000 on Feb 28.
The case returns to court on April 3.
In addition, Freeway Motors property manager Junior Tasion, 30, from Pak Island in Manus, Brandon Miria, 27, from Yule Island, Central, and Michael Tiria are charged with being in possession of 2.33grams of methamphetamine on Feb 19.
All pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Daniels in the Committal Court on March 7.
The trio are out on a bail for K1,000 each.
The case is scheduled for trial on March 30.

Pilots switched off transponders, says official

WHEN an aircraft is operated illegally, the pilots deliberately switch off the transponders to prevent air traffic controllers from tracking and monitoring their movements, a company official says.
NiuSky Pacific Ltd (NSPL) managing director and chief executive officer Captain Ted Pakii explained this after he was asked by The National if he was aware of a flight from Bulolo to Australia that carried methamphetamine. “The NSPL is not aware the operations of this flight,” Pakii said.
He said pilots deliberately failed to submit flight plans or communicate with the air traffic controllers during the flight to prevent being detected by them.
“When this happens, our air traffic controllers have no way of knowing they are there,” Pakii said.
“This is exactly what happened to the MH370 (Malaysian Airlines flight) in 2014 when someone turned off the transponders and the aircraft disappeared from the screen and has never been found to this day.
“The NSPL has the latest in surveillance and communication technology. But if the systems in the aircraft are turned off, our controllers cannot track and monitor their movements.”