Special operations lead to arrest of drug traffickers

 MALALAUA police in Gulf have arrested two men carrying about 40kg of marijuana in a special operation.

Police station commander Senior Const Otto Kumel said the two were from Kunimaipa, Tapini in Central.

They were arrested at Okovai while travelling from Kakoro in the Kerema district.

Police found four 10kg bags of marijuana on the pair.

Kumel said the two suspects were detained at the Malalaua police station cell awaiting transfer to Kerema for the formal laying of charges.

Kumel said drug traffickers were using the route through Malalaua to transport drugs to Port Moresby or to Western

He said they needed funding to properly deal with the drug traffickers properly and asked MPs from Gulf to help them.

Meanwhile, a man accused of killing a policeman is in hiding in Lae, Morobe, after fleeing from Kakiva village in the Kerema and Taurelakemu local level government.

Kumel said the man had been implicated in the killing of community-based Const Abel Kapi last November. He said Kapi and the suspect were from the same village.

“Kapi’s relatives are agitated and the situation is tense. 

“They have demanded compensation of K150,000 from the suspect’s relatives.”

Police are planning to travel to the village next month to talk to the relatives of both men.