Lae police searching container after marijuana intercepted

POLICE in Lae are still searching for a 20-foot shipping container at the Lae main wharf after 39 packets of marijuana weighing 53 kilogrammes was intercepted there last Saturday.
Lae Metropolitan police commander Chief Insp Chris Kunyanban said the street value of the marijuana was estimated to be more than K100,000.
“The drugs were found to be neatly packed into plastic wrappers and concealed in 15 bags of kaukau (sweet potato) and was to be shipped to Port Moresby from Lae,” he said.
Chief Insp Kunyanban said Lae police received a tip-off and intercepted a vehicle transporting the 20ft container carrying bags of sweet potato from Goroka.
“While searching the container, the policemen came across the drugs,” he said.
“But there are more bags of kaukau contained in the container and there is possibilities that there may be more drugs concealed in those bags.”
He said that was why police were working on thorough checks on all bags of kaukau contained in the container.
Chief Insp Kunyanban said police had intercepted such shipments in the past.
He said this was one of the ways that dangerous drugs were shipped to either Port Moresby or the New Guinea Islands.
“The person who transported the container has been arrested while the owner of the cargo is still in Goroka and police investigations are continuing,” he said.
Chief Insp Kunyanban said drug abuse in communities was increasing and this was alarming.
He said marijuana was widely consumed in settlements, on streets and in villages. The public were either ignorant or unaware of its impacts or did not care.
Chief Insp Kunyanban said marijuana consumption and related problems such as law and order and health issues would continue to occur if effective actions such as awareness and counselling were not implemented.
He said it was a community problem and there needed to be effort from all stakeholders to minimise its impact.