Cops suspect syndicate involved in human trade

By JUNIOR UKAHA
Police in the border province of West Sepik said a “human smuggling syndicate” invol­ving Papua New Guineans and Indonesian nationals may be opera­ting on the northern border.
Officers monitoring the border made this re­velation after intercepting a number of boats ferrying expatriates into PNG territorial waters from Jayapura, Indonesia.
Provincial police chief Michael Tilae said that had been happening since September last year.
“Lately, a number of Africans have been caught and deported back to Indonesia,” Tilae said.
“We caught four people some months ago, three two weeks ago and another three last week – they were all Africans and spoke a kind of Arabic language,” he said.
“Although it was illegal for us to send them back without charging them, we had to immediately do so because there was no translator to interpret what they were saying.
“We spoke English but they did not understand,” he said.
He said it was impossible for such people to come all the way from Africa or Asia into PNG by themselves.
Tilae said the racket might be a million kina business for agents who were smuggling people into the country.
“The unlucky ones are caught and deported.
“Others who have passed through may already be in Wewak, Madang, Port Moresby and finding their way to Australia,” he said.
He said security at the border needed to be beefed up so that such highly sophisticated organised crime could be deterred.
He said he had discussions with the Indonesian consular general in Vanimo and they were looking at ways to address the problem.
Tilae said among other things discussed at the meeting was the need to monitor the number of people moving from PNG to Batas market, on the Indonesian side of the border, to trade.
Tilae said unregistered motorcycles belonging to PNG nationals were entering Indonesia illegally and people other than the traditional border crossers were flocking to Batas without permits or visas.
He said that had raised concern from the Indonesian government.