Security surveillance on Wokabaut

By RIGGO NANGAN
“HE ain’t heavy, he’s our brother … and we’re going for a walk-about on the “Wokabaut”.
US Navy officer, Beau Copeland, pictured at left, accompanying Papua New Guinea MS-13 police officers Bruno Bukam (second from left) Michael Ben, Peter Bera and George Finall, who were assigned to provide sea surveillance for the visiting US Navy ship USS Cleveland which is visiting Lae on a humanitarian PPII mission.
The boat used by the officers to travel out to sea was the Wokabaut, which is owned by the Niugini Electrical Company.
They used another boat owned by the same company, the Guna Do, on the previous day.
The officers were setting out on the “Wokabaut” from the Lae Yacht Club jetty yesterday with officer Finall at the helm, when caught by our cameraman.
The USS Cleveland had been anchoring out of Lae on the Huon Gulf waters just off the shores from the Labu Tale, Labu Miti and Labu Butu villages since it arrived last Thursday.
The officers have been on surveillance duties in the past few days while the visiting US Navy teams of dentists, optometrists, veterinary specialists and engineers were carrying out rehabilitation and building of new classrooms in selected schools around Lae, treating patients and carrying out extension work on health facilities.