Cops run check on Bomana ‘escapee’

LAE police are investigating the identity of the man who was chopped at 9-Mile in Lae, Morobe province, on Sunday morning.
Police have not yet confirmed if he is the real Mero Mosbi, an inmate who was among the 12 who fled with suspected bank robber William Kapris, from the Bomana jail in Port Moresby on Jan 12.
Lae police investigators could not ask him questions because he was unable to speak.
Lae metropolitan commander Nema Mondiai said police were keeping a close eye on him to establish dialogue when he was conscious.
The man had threatened a Menyamya man and his family to extort money.
He tried to extort K5,000 from the Menyamya Morobe Security Services but was trapped and chopped.
The Menyamya man had all along kept police abreast of the threats.
Mr Mondiai has issued a strong warning to city residents and the public to be careful when going around with their daily businesses.
“Due to an increase in urban migration, the public is urged to be security conscious and report any suspicious matter to the police as soon as possible,” Mr Mondiai said.
In the last few weeks, there had been a slight increase in reports of armed robberies along the Miles areas and Busu Road: from Chinatown to Malahang and Bumayong.
He attributed the increase to a decrease in police patrols because of a lack of vehicles.
“Police are also keeping a close watch on the hotspots within the city and along the two main highways (Highlands and Bulolo) as well as the Situm and Bukawa roads.
“As business activities increase daily, criminals are taking a different approach due to accessibility of latest modes of technology,” he said.
“A collective effort from the communities is also required.”