Kapris recaptured

Main Stories, National
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By BARNABAS ORERE PONDROS

PAPUA New Guinea’s most wanted fugitive William Nanua Kapris was recaptured by NCD police at a lodge along the Poreporena Freeway, near the Gordon market in Port Moresby, at 4.30pm on Saturday.
The operation began when NCD police were tipped that Kapris or an associate was going to visit the Tan Trading near the Gordon market sometime on Saturday.
Based on the information, police set up surveillance and waited. When an associate of Kapris went to the Tan Trading, he was detained.
He told police that Kapris was at the Afford Lodge several minutes by foot.
Police wasted no time and swamped the lodge and arrested Kapris and two others – a male and a female.
Despite being armed with a .38 Special pistol, Kapris gave no resistance as police swooped on the lodge.
The identities of the two caught with Kapris were not disclosed, but Police Commissioner Gari Baki, when announcing the recapture, said the female “may be the owner of the lodge”.
They were all taken into custody.
“They will be charged upon completion of police interviews,” Mr Baki said yesterday.
He was delighted at the capture of the alleged bank robbery mastermind, who is now back in Bomana prison where he escaped from with 11 others on Jan 12.
He praised NCD metropolitan Chief Supt Fred Yakasa, NCD and Central Commander Awan Sete, including NCD operations boss Andy Bawa and their officers for the hard work.
Mr Baki said a lot of focus had been put on Kapris and urged that similar focus and concern be given to all the other fugitives.
He said that while police was working on a slow pace, he assured they would still ensure that all the fugitives would be captured. “It is only a matter of time before the other 10 prisoners are recaptured and put back behind bars,” Mr Baki added.
As of yesterday, police have arrested eight persons in connection with the Jan 12 break out.
Two of them, including Kapris, are prison escapees while the rest have been charged either with helping the prisoners escape or aid and abetting the escapees while on the run.
Kapris escaped from Bomana prison in a Toyota ute after one warder was taken hostage and a woman posing as a lawyer pulled a gun on guards.
Kapris has been accused of a string of high-profile bank robberies, rape, a plane hijacking and the alleged murder of a police officer.
Prior to his capture in 2008, he had been on the run for eight years after escaping police detention while being treated at the Port Moresby General Hospital.