PPC: Do not harrass people

 By SHEILA MALKEN

THE betel nut ban applies only to the National Capital District (NCD) and not Central, and it is out of bounds for NCD police to interfere with the issue, the Central police commander says.

Laimo Asi said there was a group of NCD police who had been identified going into villages like Porebada, Papa, Lealea, Boera and Manumanu to confiscate betel nuts and harass villagers and sellers.

“Central province is out of bound and if NCD police want to confiscate betel nuts, they should stand at a boom gate,” Asi said. 

“They should not intrude into my people’s livelihood.”

He said a few NCD police officers have been identified in Central and referred to police assistant commissioner for NCD and Central Jim Andrews.

He said this had come to his attention and he organised his officers to make arrests of any intruding cops.

“You are stealing from the people of Central, harassing women and children and even youths, and make them suffer from the ban that applies to NCD alone,” Asi said.

He warned NCD police officers to stop raiding Central villages.