Facebook post leads to eight officers arrested by mistake

A FACEBOOK post caused confusion and led to the brief detention of eight auxiliary policemen in the Sumgilbar LLG of Sumkar district on Wednesday.
Madang police commander Chief Insp Ben Neneo said he was alerted by a Facebook post that alleged men in police uniform were conducting an illegal roadblock near the Bunabun logging area and demanding fees from passers-by.
“I then summoned a police team to investigate the report. By chance or co-incidence, the police team spotted them in a hired vehicle on their way to town,” Neneo said.
The eight were then detained and taken to the police station for interrogation.
It was established that the eight men in uniform were auxiliary policemen from Karkar LLG deployed to the main land to serve under Dylup police to monitor the land conflict between people in Manam’s Mangem Care Centre and the locals from Bunabun.
Neneo said police were unaware of the auxiliary police training in Bunabun and the roadblock operation.
“I acted swiftly as a police commander to prevent the conflict from getting out of hand. It was just a slight misunderstanding,” he added.
Sumkar MP Chris Nangoi said the Sumkar district development authority was aware of the operation of the auxiliary policemen who were being paid allowances to monitor the situation between the Manam and Bunabun villagers.
Nangoi said the conflict between the two ethnic groups was also the reason why the DDA had funded K100,000 last month for the construction of the new Bunabun police station. Both Neneo and Nangoi said they were liaising with each other to have the police station constructed.
Neneo said he would assign a policeman to head the new police station once it was ready for occupation and use.
Meanwhile Karkar Island had only three regular policemen looking after more than 86,000 islanders.
“But the three are working with 23 auxiliary policemen to enforce law and order, and security,” Neneo said.