Police investigating alleged death of two men near betel nut trading venue

POLICE are investigating the deaths of two men at a beach near Hisu village, Central.
The men from Central are believed to have been killed on Tuesday at a location where locals and betel nut buyers conduct their business.
Central police commander Chief Insp Tapp Opai said he was yet to confirm the circumstances of the deaths and would be able make a statement once that information was available.
“I had been warning the villagers in Central province not to risk their lives to trade betel nuts during the state of emergency (SOE) period,” he said. “This is not the first death that has been reported in that area within the SOE period and they are all betel nut trade related.”
Chief Insp Opai said the people needed to follow simple instructions and orders in place to avoid trouble.
He said betel nut traders who are also travelling on boats using the sea were risking their lives to travel during this time of the year when seas were rough.
Chief Insp Opai said while a large number of people in the province depended on the betel nut trade to make a living, they needed to start looking at other ways to earn money. He urged the people to consider planting crops and garden food to sell in Port Moresby markets as a means to sustain themselves.
In April, a man from Mekeo was found dead between Hisu and Toutou villages after selling his betel nuts.