Smuggling drugs to pay bride price

By ZACHERY PER
A GOROKA man who tried to smuggle 16-kilogrammes of marijuana on a flight to Port Moresby last Thursday told police he did it to raise money to pay for his wife’s bride price.
Police prosecutor Sgt Joe Pipi said there were many lawful ways to raise money to pay for obligations such as bride price and selling drugs to raise money was unacceptable and a crime.
John Hane, 28, from Lufa, was detained by National Airports Corporation (NAC) guards at Goroka Airport last Thursday after they caught him trying to take the drugs with him on an afternoon flight.
Hane was later arrested and told police that he was pressured by his wife’s parents to pay the bride price and since his family had no money to help him pay, he decided to smuggle the marijuana to Port Moresby to sell on the streets.
“Raising money for bride price, school fees, compensations and many other needs, there are many ways to do that such as gardening to sell produce to raise money, kaukau (sweet potatoes), greens other garden produce are fetching good money at the markets and even the price of coffee is selling at K8-K10 per kilogramme,” Sgt Pipi said.
“Selling pigs or other domesticated animals will fetch money, the reason you have given is a lazy man’s justification.
“I will submit to the court to impose the maximum penalty as marijuana is destroying people’s health especially young people.”
Hane is married, without children and unemployed.
Police also discovered that Hane attempted to use another person’s airline ticket to board the plane .
Hane was expected to appear before the Goroka District Court yesterday to answer to a drug smuggling charge, however court hearings were deferred .
Hane remains in police custody.