Squad removed for allegedly helping with illegal trade

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
A PORT Moresby-based police mobile squad has been removed from border Covid-19 operations after allegations of their members facilitating illegal trading of vanilla beans between East Sepik farmers and Indonesia buyers, West Sepik police commander Chief Insp Moses Ibsagi says
“This squad returned last Friday to the McGregor Barracks after being accused of protecting and transporting vanilla famers from East Sepik to West Sepik,” he said.
“They were also accused of increased police brutality and harassment against members of the public which West Sepik Governor Tony Wouwou had already expressed concern about.
“And a new mobile squad, also from McGregor, arrived last Friday to replace them. The replacement squad is Mobile Squad (MS) 3 and they are more disciplined then the one that they had replaced which was a composite squad.
“That squad was made of members selected from various MS of the southern command to come for operation and so there was no command and control over these members.”
Insp Ibsagi said they owed Vanimo-based business houses about K19,000 for the border operations.
“We owe them for providing fuel and food supplies for the policemen deployed to Yapsie, Niakono, Skotchio, Wutung and Huli villages along the PNG-Indonesian border to prevent people from crossing the border during the closure,” he said.
“These men have since returned to Vanimo.”