Police seize 800kg-plus stolen explosives in Lae

By NICHOLAS SIREO
CRIMINALS in Lae were planning to use stolen explosives to commit crimes in Lae and other areas before police caught them, according to Metropolitan Superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jr.
More than 800 kilogrammes of explosives were seized by Lae police on Monday.
He said the explosives were stored in a container and kept inside a construction company’s yard.
Criminals broke into the yard at East Taraka and stole the explosives.
“We believe that some of those explosives might be in the hands of criminals because the same container was broken into by thieves in 2013,” he said.
“The construction company does not have any records to confirm how much was stolen.”
In January, police received a tip-off that some of the explosives were being moved.
Police found the explosives and locked them up at the Igam Barracks armoury.
Last month, police arrested an escapee and found at his family home at Nawae Block a carton of detonators.
Wagambie said this led to the discovery of the explosives on Monday.
He said more explosives could have ended up in the hands of criminals if police had not acted swiftly.
The explosives are now locked up at the Igam Barracks armoury.