Drama at sea

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By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
THE PNG Navy intercepted an unidentified foreign vessel in waters off New Ireland on Saturday, fired at it when it ignored orders to stop, injuring one of its crew members, an official says.
PNG Defence Force Chief of Staff Captain Philip Polewara told The National that the foreign vessel which was unregistered was then escorted back to Kavieng Port by naval officers on the HMPNGS Moresby.
Capt Polewara confirmed that the PNGDF was now assisting police in their investigations into the vessel.
“As it is, I am unable to reveal any more information but can confirm the boat has no name, is unregistered and no other information can be found on it,” he said.
“Only one crew member on board is able to speak English.
“There is no fish on board as well.” It is understood that naval officers on the HMPNGS Moresby had warned the crew members of the foreign vessel to stop.
But it continued to sail away.
The officers fired another warning shot but to no avail.
The navy ship then pulled up alongside the vessel and fired shots injuring the crew member.
A police source in New Ireland confirmed with The National that the crew member who was shot was recovering at the Kavieng General Hospital after an operation.
The vessel is anchored off the Kavieng port wharf.
New Ireland police and the provincial administration confirmed yesterday that the incident occurred on Saturday evening as the HMPNGS Moresby was leaving for the Lombrum Naval Base on Manus.
Police officers from Port Moresby accompanied by members of the Australian Federal Police arrived in the province on Monday to investigate what the boat was doing in the area.
Officers from the police, customs, National Fisheries Authority and Defence Force searched the vessel and found only two passports.
On board were eight men who appeared to be from different countries.
The area where the vessel was intercepted between New Ireland and Manus is known to seafarers as the Morgado Square.

22 comments

  • Papua New Guinea is invaded by the aliens from north, south ,east and west. What can PNG do about it to minimize invasion from all corners of PNG. Doing with ease and without respect for the laws of this nation . They playing mickey mouse games with law enforcement organizations of this country .What are we not doing right that they are takings on the joy ride in our own country. Something to think about. seriously.

  • We are a banana republic so everyone is trying to take their share of the banana. If you look at how the general public service Machineries to the general code of ethics of how our PNG citizens go about carry out either their public or private life, we are truly a banana Republic.

  • Revisit the proposal to establish an Australian naval base at the Manus naval base in partnership with PNG to increase sea surveillance in the pacific. PNG can not do it alone. It has to be a regional approach led by Australia.

    Naval officers/seaman can from all the other pacific island countries on rotations of e.g. every 2-3 months to patrol the seas. It builds a truly regional naval force to patrol our waters. Other smaller PI countries also have similar problems. We need to tackle this problem as a region.

  • If Papua New Guinea is so-called a Christian nation then why do Government allow other religions such as Muslim, Islam and Bahai (just to name a few) to establish in certain parts (provinces) of the country? This is an indication that PNG is not a Christian nation but a country of multiple religion.

  • This was by chance caught and the navy should be applauded for. Good job, however many escape unnoticed in also confirming the drug incident recently caught by chance. These are all tip of an ice berg and the proper thing to do given the age we are in is by venturing into geospatials technology (Satellite Application) so that we can mend our borders remotely, effectively and on real time basis. Otherwise we are still not safe yet. Intrusions happen day and night, 24/7. What is capable to operate 24/7 and watch day and nigh is only thru satellite technology and PNG has to do something about it.

  • If png government is serious in setting

    up a naval base what about Considering East sepik province the location is Kairiru is land.

  • Changes are beginning to take place. Currently most of the hidden evil activities around our beloved country are being exposed; I don’t know whether we realize that or not. But PNG will no longer be a country were people will steal, plunder, and do anything that is wrong. That change is beginning from the top and is surely coming to everyone

  • It’s been a long while for the Navy to conduct this multi role due to budget constraints by Governments since end of Bougainville Crisis.
    The current surveillance boats gifted by Australia are not suitable for this role and Navy Plans for new boats have been less prioritised since 1996.
    It costs approximately K100,000 to put a single boat to cycled operations since 2000.
    Bravo P04 for the arrest and hopefully a successful prosecution as we have smart civil lawyers that can turn the tide against us.

  • Take back PNG and we need to start buying better patrol boats then accepting cheap gifts from Australia

  • Any kinds of alians are entering our country without a formal notice. Last time a plane was landed unexpectedly and said they are here for important business. This time a foreign vessel found in the waters of papua new guinea.
    My appeal is that , repective government department have to do a thorough investigation and find out in case they might be an organisation smuggling arms and weapons for some tycoons in png.

  • JA why would you torture someone for entering the country illegally? You can’t torture a human life? What on earth are you thinking….This sort of mentality should be stopped now. Just follow the law to punish him/her and send them back to their origin.

  • Look at what is unfolding now.It is bechedemer season.They could be here to smuggle the product out They have people in country already doing the ground work. If drugs were recently intercepted than what’s so hard about unregistered ships entering our vast waters.Increase funding to Border security to step up surveillance.

  • I totally agree with you on increasing fundings for our border securities. There is no other way.

  • Around this time of pandemic and illicit drug smuggling, any Tom, Dick and Harry crossing into our borders for unidentified reasons should all be investigated by our intelligents carefully.
    Any suspicious activities done by those illegal crews on board must be thoroughly questioned about it. We are all afraid that anything must have been done by those crews on board to our waters, Islands and the biodiversity. Furthermore, we would not know if they might have introduced something or they might be a vector of any kind of diseases.
    Be careful about what is happening and take actions accordingly to the degree of the offence.

  • Provide border surveillance with better patrol boats and planes. It all comes down to how our country is managed. It is also time to upgrade our military capabilities, especially air and sea elements for a better , efficient security of our country to keep out international crime syndicates and poachers. That ship must have been heading to a logging camp as there are reports of unregistered vehicles in these camps.

  • This kind of practice is happening everyday around our borders. The PNG DF should keep up the good work they are doing and impose severe punishment to such persons.

  • it appears that our borders have been compromised. we need to step up surveillance to keep out foreign invaders.

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