Thugs dressed as policemen rob Lae businessman

 By JUNIOR UKAHA

SEVEN men dressed as policemen robbed a businessman of a substantial amount of money and valuables in Lae on Tuesday, police said.  

Lae metropolitan commander Iven Lakatani said the robbery took place between 3pm and 4pm at Paper Street, Eriku.

Lakatani said the businessman was at his home when the men dressed in “police field uniforms” entered his premises pretending to serve a court order on him.

They were armed with two pistols, an assault rifle and driving in 

a brown unmarked 10-seater vehicle. 

“They held him up at gunpoint, tied his hands and legs and looted his home,” Lakatani said. 

“They got K10,000, three laptops and a mobile phone before escaping,” he said.

The man owns a chain of fast-food outlets in the city, police said.

“I call on business houses especially to be wary of policemen travelling in unmarked vehicles to their premises and demanding entry,” he said.

“We, police, travel in marked vehicles.

“Any such occurrences should be immediately reported to my office or that of the superintendent operations or your nearest police station,” Lakatani said.

He said police had yet to establish whether the men who held up  the businessman were officers or criminals dressed as policemen.

Lakatani said the suspects were still at large and could strike again