Police tackle piracy in Yonki

Weekender
POLICE

By PISAI GUMAR
WHO says there is no water piracy in the Highlands?
It could be a joke to many to hear about water piracy in highlands, a region better known for tribal fights.
But it is real. Believe it or not, in the Arona Valley of Obura-Wonenara in Eastern Highlands, piracy in the Yonki dam has spiraled out of control silently in recent times.
The situation is such that a special police unit has been installed to contain it from escalating any further with the loss of more lives and property.
Many are familiar with tales of sea piracy in coastal waters in Madang, Morobe, Northern, Milne Bay including parts of East and West New Britain.
But not much has been done to contain a similar crime in the Yonki Lagoon whose water generates electricity in the Ramu hydro power plant. There are accounts of lives lost on the lagoon and survivors struggling to safety.
It has become an ongoing risk to the local Kamanda and Biyoka villagers from either side of Arona Valley to get to and from Agarabi market along the main Highlands Highway.
Many locals residing along the Yonki Lagoon use canoes for access to Gadzup and Yonki townships for basic services and businesses.
The local Arona people also use Yonki and Gadzup (Agarabi) as their main route to get on PMVs to and from Kainantu, Lae, Ramu Sugar and Madang.
This regular movement of people has provided an opportunity for criminals who pounce on their victims from their hiding places in the savannah plateau as the Kamanda and Biyoka locals paddle across the dam to and from Gadzup and Yonki township.
The criminals hit in the middle of the open water, steal all hard-earned cash and valuable items, sink the canoes leaving the victims struggling to safety. Some have drowned and the felons escape by canoe with all the items to feast from innocent peoples sweat.
Fishermen in the Yonki Lagoon with their catch of tilapia sometimes fall victims of piracy.
The issue of piracy at Yonki is merely one aspect of the general lawlessness within the entire Obura-Wonenara district known for tribal fights as local MP Mehrra Mine Kipefa says.
Kipefa swiftly has set up the police tactical (Zero-1) response unit. The unit codenamed PTZ-1RU comprises three specific subunits – Zulu 1, Bravo 2 and Fox 1.
The notion is similar to the sector response unit (SRU) in Lae based on the Royal PNG Constabulary’s Northern Division strategic policing plan under the leadership of Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) Peter Guinness and former Lae MetSupt Anthony Wagambie Jr.
The Zulu 1 unit is involved in air surveillance in parts of Obura-Wonenara inaccessible by road.
The Yonki-based Bravo 2 does patrols the Arona Valley in particular Yonki Lagoon apart from land and traffic security.
The Kainantu-based Fox 1 unit conducts land surveillance along the highway between Kainantu and Henganofi districts.
Kipefa invested in two vehicles for Bravo 2 and Fox 1 while arrangements are in place with three mission aviation aircraft for air surveillance by Zulu 1. For Bravo 2, a 40hp banana boat was given to hunt down criminal elements conducting water piracy in Yonki Lagoon. Fox 1 is also enhanced with a drone for air surveillance to monitor crime hotspots along the highway every hour.
The toll free mobile number for Bravo 2 is 71570314 and Fox 1 is 71315695 for travelling public between Kassam Pass and Henganofi.
Obura-Wonenara district is comprised of three local level governments of Tairora-Gadzup, Lamari and Yaliya.
The district has some reputable agencies in PNG Power Ltd (PPL) at Yonki, Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), National Agricultural Research Institute (Nari) and Summer Institute of Linguistics in Aiyura (SIL) and Aiyura National High School.
Guinness and Kipefa launched the Bravo 2 base at Yonki before proceeding to Kainantu to open the mini-police operational base at Kainantu on Monday, Dec 23, accompanied by Eastern Highlands provincial police commander David Seine Jr and Bundaira CS officers.
The mini-police operational station built in Kainantu is for businesses and the traveling public to seek police assistance whenever needed 24/7. The station will improve police visibility and confidence to businesses and public alike.
Kassam Pass is the gateway to the highlands provinces with Kainantu as the first business centre catering to people in Obura-Wonenara, Kainantu, Okapa and Henganofi, Ramu Sugar and fringes of Umi-Atzera and Onga-Waffa in Markham, Morobe.
Eastern Highlanders are generally regarded as a peace-loving but tribal or ethnic clashes in Kainantu township have become a norm.
“When the tribal rivals mean business, they bring their ethnic clashes to Kainantu township and fight each other as the township grinds to a standstill for a day or two; and it is no longer bows and arrows,” Kipefa told The National.
Such actions by locals also discourage and deprive business investments interest, brings fear to the community while basic government services are destroyed by opportunists.
Kipefa believes that investing in police and the justice sector will restore lost trust, confidence and pride to enable government agencies to deliver basic services.
It will also encourage and lure business investment opportunities into the district and enable people to move freely without fear to get involved in socio-economic activities.
Under Kipefa’s leadership, the district development authority allocates K500,000 to police and the justice sector to maintain the rule of law.
“And I cannot do it alone because law and order is everybody’s business. Importantly, it begins in family homes, clans and tribes to take ownership.
“There are government procedures in place to address grievances which people must understand and follow proper channels,” Kipefa said adding that for water piracy at Yonki Lagoon, there is no room for the culprits involved to escape as the Bravo 2 section commander First Const Dugi Sigaiya and his team will have no mercy.
Guinness oversees and commands Morobe, EHP and Madang to ensure policing tactics and visibility is elevated to instil confidence in the Northern command to ensure investments and businesses thrive smoothly.
Guinness was overwhelmed by the undivided support of PPL Yonki to assist local police in upholding law and order in partnership with the positive steps Kipefa has initiated.
Guinness said the PTZ-1RU was akin to SRU and water policing in Morobe supported by MPs John Rosso (Lae), Ross Seymour (Huon Gulf) and Koni Iguan (Markham) including Lae business community under the public-private partnership notion.
International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI), Papindo Group, Hilmar Wong, NKW Holdings and Wafi-Golpu JV are among many Lae companies working in partnership to maintain law and order for a safer city for citizens to live peacefully and businesses to thrive.
Guinness is mindful that when police instill peace and confidence, investment thrives creating various employment and development opportunities, government collects taxes and revenues and in return continue to provide basic services to the citizens for the country’s growth.
Guinness said that the concepts in PTZ-1RU, the SRU and water policing were part of the Northern Command’s policing strategic plan.
As such, the officers involved need specific combat and tactical training to enrich their operational capabilities.
Therefore the Gusap Downs police facilities built under public-private partnership by Ramu-Agri Industries Ltd (Rail) will be transformed into a training centre.