Guns land woman in jail with hard labour

By JUNIOR UKAHA
A woman, wife of a wanted criminal, was jailed by a Lae court for 10 months with hard labour for possession of guns and bullets.
Her husband, Reuben Raphael Masimo, on the run escaped when police arrested the woman.
Lae Metro Supt Anthony Wagambie Jr said police were tipped off that Masimo was hiding at the Bora Block near the Ramu Station in Madang and travelled there and conducted a raid.
In the raid Masimo, 32, from Sinegu village in Yangoru, East Sepik, and the woman were captured.
Masimo, an escapee from the Kerevat jail in East New Britain, was wanted by authorities for a recent string of robberies in Lae that involved the use of high-powered firearms.
Wagambie said police searched the house the couple was residing in and found a factory-made Winchester shotgun in the woman’s bag.
“The bag also contained two shotgun rounds and 7x9mm pistol bullets,” Wagambie said.
“The wife has been charged for having in her possession unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
“She appeared in court and was sentenced to 10 months in prison with hard labour.
Wagambie said Masimo had fled Lae after police raided his gang’s hideout at the fringes of West Taraka last month.
He said police would lay appropriate charges against him as well.
Meanwhile, police have apprehended an escapee at the Back Road area last Tuesday following a foot patrol.
“China Town police have attended to a report of armed youths on Oct, 21 at Centre Market when they were fired on by armed suspects at around 5.50pm,” Wagambie said.
“Police reinforcement was sent in but the suspects escaped,” he said.
“Later that evening police went back and conducted foot patrols and caught three suspects with a homemade gun and bullets.
“One of those apprehended was an escapee from the mass break out at the Buimo prison early this year.”
Wagambie identified the escapee as Gari Tati of mixed Morobe and East New Britain parentage.
Wagambie said Tati and his accomplices were charged, appeared in court and were sent to Buimo prison.