Police seize 37kg of marijuana

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
THE National Drug and Vice Squad arrested five people yesterday for growing, harvesting and being in possession of 37kg of marijuana.
The officer-in-charge of the squad, Joel Kapinias, said his office received a tipoff and a team of eight officers led by Thomas Moiyang were deployed to carry out the operation at 2am yesterday.
Police arrested Francis Houai, 32, Moroi Aidai, 30, and John Gauatai, 41, all from Guari village, at Tapini in Goilala, Central.
Also arrested were driver Peter Vaita Pedro, 37, from Saroa village, and his wife Kila Pedro, 25, from Girobara village in Central.
The five people were arrested at Sabusa Junction in Port Moresby.
Kapinias said the three suspects were in a hired white Ford Ranger driven by Pedro, who works as a driver for the Lands Department.
Pnd were nine bags of marijuana, weighing 37.7kg.
“The suspects have admitted that this was their second trip of transporting marijuana into Port Moresby on that same vehicle,” he said.
Kapinias said Houai, Aidai and Gauatai were charged with growing, harvesting and being in possession of marijuana.
The couple were charged with being in possession of marijuana.
Kapinias said police believed the suspects were part of a larger group and investigations were continuing.
“Our office has been working on a number of intelligence reports about large quantities of drugs, especially marijuana, being transported into Port Moresby from Kerema in Gulf, and Mekeo and Goilala in Central,” he said.
Kapinias said the three suspects did a first trip last Saturday morning.
He said random roadblocks would be set up along the
Hiritano Highway to deal with drug traffickers and road rules breakers.