Police arrest 10 in a week during marijuana harvest season

By DOROTHY MARK
POLICE have arrested at least 10 people this week for possessing or selling marijuana in Madang.
Four people were arrested yesterday for transporting and handling nine big packs of the illicit drug from Jiwaka.
Madang police commander Chief Inpsector Ben Neneo said a bag containing the nine packs, each the size of a rugby ball, was among bags of Highlands fruits and vegetables carted from Chimbu and Goroka.
Neneo said two boys from East Sepik living in Madang were caught by police when they carried the marijuana bag and ran into the town’s botanical garden at around 6am.
“It was unusual for young boys carrying a bag and running at such a time in the morning and that made police suspicious and they gave chase,” he said.
When police caught them, they checked and saw the nine packs of marijuana.
Neneo said the two suspects caught were told to identify the vehicle they unloaded the Highlands vegetables from.
The two suspects, the driver and the PMV crew were taken to the Jomba police station and questioned.
Neneo identified that the truck belonged to a retired police training officer at Chimbu.
The driver, who was questioned, said he only performed his duty as a truck driver, transporting Highlands food to be sold at Madang market and did not know what his passengers carried.
The two boys said it was their usual practice to steal vegetables from vendors and later resell to other vendors at lower prices.
They said they lifted the marijuana bag and felt it was light and thought it contained were broccoli.
Police said marijuana was usually harvested from August and Madang was the usual transition area for East and West Sepik and Manus. Guns and betel nuts were also involved in the trade.