Task force members confiscate tools of homebrew trade

 A COMMUNITY task force in Lae has raided homebrew distillers and confiscated equipment.

The Ahi community task force yesterday raided the Pepsi Compound which is in its Ward 12, and retrieved gas tanks, copper pipes and plastic containers.

The accessories are used to brew a cheap but highly intoxicating drink known as “steam”.

Ahi LLG president Sam David Agi said at a gathering of more than 100 people at the council chambers that since 2000, “Pepsi compound was known as the homebrew country”.

He said the task force had conducted three previous raids but was not successful in capturing the distillers or confiscating their equipment.

He is appealing to the people to surrender homebrew equipment to allow peace among the people from wards one to 17.

Agi said he wanted people to celebrate New Year “with a good heart and have peace”.

He said there were all together 380 task force members working with the Ahi LLG and he was appealing to all the ward councillors to work with him to rid the area of homebrew.

He warned the people that the community task force was supporting the police and “whenever there is curfew they will apply the force of the law to deal with the people who want to challenge the law.”