Existing laws related to hard drugs ‘inadequate’, says Manning

POLICE Commissioner David Manning has admitted that the existing laws in relation to hard drugs are “inadequate” and “we could not effectively prosecute the case in PNG to obtain the maximum penalty” in relation to the cocaine drug bust outside Port Moresby last year.
He said the Government was currently taking measures to amend national legislation in order to empower law enforcement agencies effectively deal with such transnational crimes.
Comm Manning said this when updating the public on the case which had resulted in five arrests.
“For the constabulary, we are strengthening our processes and systems to effectively detect and prosecute such crimes being committed on our soil, all five have been served with several criminal charges and the matters are now in the lower courts,” he said.
“In addition, the pilot has been charged by the Civil Aviation and Safety Authority and found guilty for the charges under Civil Aviation laws.
“He was found guilty and imposed with a fine of more than K30,000 or imprisonment.”
Comm Manning said recently, in 2021, Customs came on board and arrested the pilot for importing electronic items as well as money in Australian dollars into PNG and attempting to export items from PNG in breach of the PNG Customs Act.
“The files have been served and the matters are in the courts,” he said. “In so far as the test results of the drugs that were remitted to Australia are concerned, we are grateful that our Department of Attorney-General and Justice and our Australian counterparts who assisted through the mutual assistance programme had the drugs tested with positive results and reports returned to be included as exhibit.”