Robberies ‘hinder growth’

By ZEDAIAH KANAU
ROBBERY committed in the premises of an airport or inside a building concerning substantial shipment of money in aircraft only hinders development, a judge says.
Justice Panuel Mogish made the remark when sentencing four men convicted for robbery at the Bomana National Court on Friday saying that a strong deterrent sentence was needed to protect the aviation industry.
The men were involved in the 2016 robbery of a cash shipment of K1,195,000 at the Tropicair terminal at Jackson Airport, Port Moresby, that was bound for West New Britain.
“The aviation industry plays an important role in the development of the country,” Justice Mogish said.
“The use of aircraft to transport passenger, goods and services is inevitable given the geographical outlay of the country.
“Most of rural airports in PNG do not have sophisticated security systems (which makes it) vulnerable to robbers.”
In the present case (of the four men), there were CCTV cameras placed in the premises which captured their images.
The men entered the building through a secured route only accessible when passengers disembark from an aircraft.
They were mistakenly identified as workers on site for a job because of the outfits they wore (Yakka outfits with reflector vests).
Justice Mogish said the men received highly confidential information from an inside source concerning the transfer of the money onto an aircraft, given information on the layout of the premises and how to access the premises without suspicion.
He said robbery committed in the premises of an airport “can ultimately lead to the companies grounding its aircraft and causing more inconveniences.”