Men deny drugs, arms charges

TEN men arrested at sea on Saturday for being in possession of drugs and weapons told a court in Lae yesterday that the items did not belong to them but to someone else.
Police intercepted three boats along the Nawaeb coast, including the two which the men were travelling in, after a tip-off.
Police found out that one boat was carrying the body of a prisoner who was shot dead last month at Buimo Prison during a mass breakout, and his relatives.
The men in the other two boats were allegedly transporting marijuana and guns.
The 10 appeared before Lae District Court magistrate Tera Dawai charged with being in possession of weapons and drugs.
They were Nathan Bakac, 29, from Finschaffen in Morobe; Aron Philip, 19, from Ijivitari in Oro; Thomas Douglas, 28, from Nawaeb in Morobe; Bairon Mark, 23, from Sohe in Oro; Vincent Apisah, 25, from Nawaeb in Morob; Chris Sirini, 35, from Sumkar in Madang; Max Steve, 28, Finschafen from in Morobe; Sai Sawalem, 38, from Finschafen in Morobe; John Anawe, 20, from Abau in Central; and Nelson Tokiel, 29, from Rabaul in East New Britain.
The court was told that because no one owned up to the alleged offences, police charged the 10 of them.
In court, they said they had since found out who the weapons and drugs belonged to.
Police were tipped off that some escaped prisoners might be on the boats travelling to Finschafen.