Mobile squad in Alotau to help local police: Riga
TEN officers from mobile squad in Port Moresby have been flown to Alotau to help local police deal with wanted criminal Tommy Maeva Baker and his gang, acting Southern commander Chief Supt Rigga Neggi says.
“They were deployed to Milne Bay on Friday morning after Baker’s gang launched a six-hour attack against local police personnel and their families in retaliation for deaths suffered by the gang from police in recent piracy and armed hold up incidences.”
Chief Supt Neggi said yesterday that the incoming officers would help relieve the local police personnel guarding the provincial police headquarters and the Alotau Police Station.
“The gang, totalling 70 members, had spilt in three groups to launch these attacks last Thursday (March 18) night from 11pm to 5am the next morning,” he said.
“One group attacked the police station, another group set up an ambush at Garuboi Street between the Catholic church and the police station and another group set up a road block at the Misima Police Barracks.”
Chief Supt Neggi said the gang had been issuing threats to kill any police personnel since last month and last Thursday, they launched their attack.
“They set up the ambush at 11pm knowing that a member of the task force unit would be dropped off at the barracks at the end of his shift,” he said.
“However, they prematurely opened fire at the approaching police vehicle and the bullet only dented the driver’s door.
“The members of the task force then returned fire forcing the gang to flee.”
4 comments
Go after them and capture them. Bring the Army in and do not rest until every one of them is captured and behind bars. This is a very serious crisis situation. PNG should be very worried when criminals start attacking police stations, it needs immediate attention. This is Alotau, next will be Lae Madang, kokopo and then Port Moresby. PNG needs to deal with this immediately or we will pay the consequenses down the track
That’s a short term strategy, why not the provincial government build a mobile squad barracks and request for a squad to be permanently moved there. We have 2 gold mines coming up and oil palm business operating in the province. Wake up leaders
Give shoot to kill orders. So many youths in Milne Bay are resorting to crime these days. The crime rate is unbearable. Hold ups along the highways of innocent travelers is a daily occurrence. See piracy on the waterways is also on the rise while the Baker Gang operate within town and the ruling the whole town. Its time for leaders not to turn a blind eye on the rising crime rate but order some harsh measures to contain the situation.
This sort of violence is an act of “Terrorism”. Round these criminals up and hang them for attacking the Police Force. This must not be tolerated in this country.
We must think about bringing back capital punishment.
Comments are closed.