Seized drug sent away

The largest drug haul in PNG has been sent to Australia because PNG lacks the capacity to store them safely, analyse the contents or to destroy them when the time arrives.
The issue first came to light in the National Court on May 10, when Judge Panuel Mogish raised serious concerns about why the 611kg of cocaine seized at Papa Lealea on July 26, 2020 had been sent to a ‘different jurisdiction’ in Australia.
The lack of capacity for safe keeping and storage, for forensic analysis and safe disposal is frustrating and hinders good detective work, acting deputy commissioner, specialist operations, Donald Yamasombi said.
Yamasombi was called to take the witness box by Justice Mogish where he revealed the state of affairs with safeguarding of the drug haul and its cartage off to Australia.
This has been the experience in three major drug operations code-named Weathers (2020 at Lealea), Saki Bomb (2021 in collaboration with US Homeland Security), and Gepard (2023 Bulolo black flight with AFP).
In these operations PNG police lacked electronic and other equipment for surveillance and had to resort to manual stake-outs which took time and money but good police work resulted in the positive outcomes.
“Providing adequate security for these drugs at the Police Headquarters was a nightmare as we do not have a proper facility in country to store such highly security risk exhibits,” Yamasombi said.
“In consultation with State agencies, Department of Justice and Attorney General, PNG Customs, Financial Analysis Supervision Unit from Bank of PNG, National Narcotics, PNG police and the Australian Federal Police, the drugs were move to Australia on September 14, 2020 on Australian Defence Force C130 flight.”
A number of the drugs from the batch were kept as court exhibits.
The drugs have been forensically analysed in Australia and are held for safe keeping at an undisclosed location by AFP until all matters relating to it are completed in the courts.
A flight flew into Lealea, Central, on July 26, 2020 to smuggle the cocaine out but the Cessna aircraft chipped its let wing on branches and crashed before take-off.
Police seized 28 daffle bags containing the drugs hidden in the mangrove swamp in the area.
Yamasombi was on site and was responsible for safety of the drug haul.
The Australian pilot David Cutmore, an Italian Yacht owner, Carl Attanasio and three Papua New Guineans, Shane Dikana, Dominic Terupo and Morgan Mogu were arrested.
Only Cutmore has been processed in court for money laundering, earning himself 18 years in prison for his pains.
When the matter came up on May 26 , the accused argued that they could not be charged with “money laundering” as the cocaine was not sold and there was no money or proceeds on them to show there was a criminal property in their possession.
Justice Mogish ruled that the accused had a case to answer and the matter was adjourned to June 13.
PNG Police also in August 2021, collaborated with the US Homeland Security and AFP to monitor some 68 kilogrammes of methamphetamine from Los Angeles through Singapore to Port Moresby via Lae, Morobe and Kimbe, West New Britain.
Police netted a businessman and his associates at a location in Port Moresby on Nov 16, 2021.
The substance was in one container disguised among similar food containers addressed to the location in Port Moresby.
Homeland Security, however, did not allow the full 68kg methamphetamine on the vessel when it discovered PNG lacked the capacity to store the drug and removed all but a 5g sample in the container to come through to effect the arrest at this end.
In March this year, two men co-piloted a twin engine Beechcraft light aircraft from Wilton, southwest of Sydney, refuelled in Queensland before continuing to Bulolo, Morobe.
PNG police and AFP monitored the black flight into Bulolo to upload 52kg of methamphetamine to Australia.
AFP nabbed the pilot and the co-pilot and four others in Australia along with their cargo.
Police in PNG arrested two Chinese nationals and six Papua New Guineans over the matter.
All eight suspects are resident at Buimo Jail and are being processed through the criminal justice system presently.