Police charge men with armed robbery

POLICE in East New Britain have arrested and charged three young men with armed robbery.
Provincial police commander Chief Inspt Joseph Tabali said the incident occurred at 5.47pm on July 12 at Happiness Trading in Rabaul.
Police alleged that nine suspects walked into Happiness Trading, next to the Pacific Industry building, and held up the shop’s employees, armed with three guns, one of which was homemade, and bush knives.
Chief Insp Tabali told The National that the suspects took goods and cash worth K10,000.
He said the properties stolen included K4,000, prepaid top-up cards (Digicel/Telikom) valued at K4,000, a mobile phone belonging to shop manager worth K2,000, three bush knives and cigarettes valued at K197.40.
Police officers from the province’s criminal investigation division unit and members of the Tomaringa mobile squad 17 arrested three suspects, all from Kokopo.
One of the suspects is a grade 12 student at Kokopo Secondary School who lives at Vunapope, while the other two reside at Nivani compound at Takubar, Kokopo.
Chief Insp Tabali said the three suspects had been detained.