Police squad hunting for killers in Western

AN 18-member police team is now hunting for an armed gang in Middle Fly, Western.
The gang is wanted for the killing of two Chinese men at a logging camp.
South Fly police commander Supt Brian Kombe said some of the gang, who allegedly killed the father and son when robbing their store at Sasereme logging camp, had been terrorising remote villages along the borders of Western, Hela and Southern Highlands provinces.
Kombe said the team comprising members of Mobile Squad (MS15) and officers from Kiunga, Tabubil and Daru were deployed on Monday to hunt the gang of 18 men after Keseki village councillor Kinsley Wawate raised the alarm.
“That area has no road and there is no mobile network coverage in that part of the Middle Fly district,” Kombe said.
He said the gang were all armed with guns and had been terrorising villagers near Mt Bosavi, Lake Campbell, Keseki and Sasereme.
“The villagers are scared to go out gardening, fishing and hunting and go about their daily work and this is affecting them.”
Kombe said yesterday that the Middle Fly development authority and Western administration had funded the deployment of the police team and so far two suspects from Komo, Hela, had been arrested.
The suspects were allegedly part of the gang that killed the two Chinese and injured two guards.