PM: Police reopening Budibudi cocaine case

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
THE Budibudi Island cocaine case has been reopened by police investigators after it was stalled in 2018.
Prime Minister James Marape said police investigators were looking at the case once more and he (Marape), like many others, had no clue as to what had happened to the investigations.
“To this day, I have little knowledge of the outcome of the case and the drug picked up on the island,” he said.
“Let me inform this Parliament that this is not the first time a drug case similar to what has occurred with the plane crash has occured.
“The Budibudi Island in Milne Bay in 2018 was where cocaine was found, confiscated and brought to Port Moresby.
“I have little knowledge to what has happened to that drug on Budibudi.
“The fact that incident took place and the plane crash with cocaine found confirms that our country has been used by transnational criminals for transaction of drugs.”
Outside Parliament, Police Minister Bryan Kramer confirmed that the team working on the cocaine haul at Papa and Lealea villages were also investigating the case on Budibudi.
“From what I have been (told), the case on Budibudi where a drug shipment was washed up, officers were sent down (and) there is no evidence of what happened to the drugs, whether officers recovered them or not, we believe this is the first case of allegations involving police officers and drugs,” Kramer said.
“We have a new executive command structure and these people are now involved and a better working relationship with the Australian Federal Police (AFP).”