Police hunt looters

By ZACHERY PER
POLICE in Eastern Highlands are targeting people who loot goods from trucks involved in accidents.
Augustine Wampe, the provincial police commander, said it was the only way to stop the illegal activity.
People living along the Faniufa section of the Highlands Highway looted two containers after the truck ferrying the cargo went off the road.
The truck, owned and operated by Waghi Valley Trucking, went off the road while approaching Goroka town at around 5am yesterday.
Residents looted the freezer container of cartons of pork and another container of mining gear, boots, raincoats, socks, trousers and shirts.
“We started to raid houses near where trucks go off the road and are looted,” Wampe said.
“We started at Watabung and have now conducted similar raids at Faniufa.
“This is to deter people and opportunists from looting and stripping parts off ill-fated trucks along the Eastern Highlands section of the Highlands Highway.”
Wampe urged trucking firms not to allow their vehicles to travel in the early hours of the morning, especially when police were not on the road.
He suggested that all trucks should have two drivers to avoid driver fatigue.
“It is dangerous for drivers who do not have sufficient rest to drive in the very early hours of the morning and to have trucks that are not serviced properly on the road,” he said.
Wampe said the driver fled the scene and his whereabouts were not known.
Police yesterday raided homes near the Faniufa highway accident and confiscated cartons of pork and other items.
Wampe said police arrested some suspects for being in possession of stolen items. They were locked up at the Goroka police cell.
Eyewitness Dianne William said she heard a big bang at 5.05am and knew that a highway truck had been involved in an accident.
“I rushed to the road and switched on my torch and saw the driver coming out of the cabin with a female.
“But after that they went into hiding.”
William said the looters raided the container of cartons of pork, mining gear, generators and chainsaws and by 6am everything was gone.