Illegal items destroyed

By LULU MARK
CONFISCATED marijuana, books and magazines on pornography and other indecent materials were burnt by officers from the Censorship Office and the National Drug and Vice Squad last Friday.
Censorship Office enforcement and compliance manager Poveta Posa said the destruction of the items was done annually by officers from the Censorship Office, Police, Customs, Magisterial Services and other law enforcement agencies.
The 883 pieces of items from the Censorship Office and 114.4kg of marijuana from the national drug squad, confiscated since 2019, were burnt outside Port Moresby.
Posa said the items included:

• SEXUAL enhancement products (214);
• Sex toys (19 pieces);
• Sex soaps (221);
• Pornographic magazines and novels (12);
• Refused DVDs (285);
• Unclassified multiple DVDs and DVDs (132).

“All these are imported items and are classified as refused material,” she said. “So it is detained until we destroy them.”
She said after the products were identified at the Post Office, “we inform the importers on the status of the products as refused material”. Posa said a large number of male sex enhancement products confiscated had medical side-effects.
The Censorship Office is aware of the trading of indecent materials on social media but the law does not allow it to regulate what is done online, she said.
National Drug and Vice-Squad officer in charge Chief Sgt Sirike Zisomein said the marijuana had been court exhibits.