Pre-lab test positive for cocaine

National

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
POLICE believe substance found concealed in cigarettes at the Motukea Wharf in Port Moresby is cocaine.
The cargo was unclaimed for almost eight months, they said.
National Drug and Vice-Squad acting officer in-charge Chief Sgt Zigomein Sirike said yesterday that the 20ft container containing 400 cartons of cigarettes came from Australia in May and was not claimed by the people who had ordered it.
“We were tipped off about that container just last month and began investigation with PNG Customs and National Narcotic Bureau,” he said.
“The joint investigation will verify who ordered this container and why it was not claimed for eight months.”
Chief Sgt Sirike said they searched the container on Feb 12 after obtaining a search warrant from court following three pervious attempts to search it.
“Getting a search warrant is a normal protocol in searching for private properties like this container,” he said.
“That’s why The PNG Customs officers had been obstructing us from searching the container because it was not in our jurisdiction to search the container at the wharf.
“When we successfully searched the container on the fourth attempt, members of the mobile squad and the Dog Unit with a cocaine sniffer dog accompanying us. The dog successfully identified the boxes containing cocaine.
“So we brought 12 boxes to the police headquarters to be tested by the police forensic scientists on Tuesday.”
Chief Sgt Sirike said the cigarette packets suspected to contain cocaine concealed in cigarette butts had a different colour and labels.
“There are 50 slots in a carton and 20 packets in a slot,” he said.
“Pre-laboratory test run on the cigarettes in one of those suspected packages resulted in positive cocaine.
“The pre-laboratory test was done by PNG Police Forensic detectives at the police headquarters, with cocaine test kits donated by the Australian Federal Police.
“We are now making arrangements to do further testing.”