Need for naval base in Milne Bay

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
DEPUTY Prime Minister Davis Steven says there needs to be a naval base and a Water Police Unit in Milne Bay to combat transnational crime and sea piracy.
Steven, who is the Justice Minister and Attorney-General, said the report to establish these institutions has been captured in the Defence White Paper and he was working with Alotau MP Charles Abel and the Milne Bay administration to implement it with the help of the Australian government.
Steven, the Esa’ala MP, said they had a good case where international drug smugglers arrested on far-flung Budibudi Islands were successfully prosecuted and convicted in 2018 .
“So Milne Bay wants to present this case to the Australian government and, in fact, we have already started to seek their effort in establishing water policing unit and a naval forward base,” he said.
“After all, it is in the mutual interest of Australia, ourselves and other neighbours in the region to ensure transnational crimes, including trafficking in persons, is addressed properly in a holistic way and a sustainable manner.”
Earlier, Budibudi councillor Essie Awaua said they feared armed men searching for cocaine believed to have been hidden there for two years.
“These men in police uniforms frequently come in high-powered speed boats, terrorising and interrogating us on where the rest of the cocaine packets are hidden,” he said.
“They believe we are still hiding the cocaine packets that were left by seven foreigners who have already left the country after been convicted for seven months each on drug smuggling.”
Awaua said they wanted the provincial government to take action and protect them from such threats.
“Just last month, four men came and this is the fourth time.
“They are dressed in police uniforms, claiming to be a task force, and they are armed with high-powered guns.”
“They are Papua New Guineans and they come from Port Moresby all the way here.
“And we believe that they will still come. It is a serious case and we are been traumatised by the fear of them returning.”
Awaua said 11 bags of cocaine were found in the Woodlark group of islands in May 2018 by a fisherman on an isolated beach.
“And we have provided these bags to the police,” he said.
“We want to continue our normal lives, but we are still living in fear.”
The Budibudi Island made news after a fisherman had disturbed a drug-running operation after finding nearly 60kg of cocaine (in bags) buried on a remote beach.
The fisherman took his discovery back to his village.
But the villagers were later confronted by a group of aggressive, heavily tattooed foreigners (six men of Asian origin and one European) and forced to hand them back.
These foreigners were believed to be smuggling cocaine from Asia to Australia and hid the packets in Budibudi.
The villagers reported the matter to the authorities, resulting in the PNG Defence Force patrol boat intercepting them and taking them to Alotau where they were investigated and convicted.