Tip-off helps police make arrests

BY ELIZABETH VUVU
East New Britain police arrested a group of suspects from Kimbe, West New Britain, in the early hours of Sunday after a tip-off about a possible armed robbery.
West New Britain police commander Jim Namora said the suspects had stolen a Toyota Land Cruiser registration HOA 401 last week in Kimbe.
The theft of the vehicle sparked rumours of a possible armed robbery of one of the three commercial banks in Kimbe or some large company payroll.
The suspects were arrested in Kokopo in the early hours of Sunday after they robbed a service station in East New Britain on Saturday night.
Kokopo police, after an alert from their Kimbe counterparts, blocked off all access roads connecting the Trans New Britain Highway.
Kimbe police set up the roadblock on the Pandi River.
Two undercover police units entered Kokopo.
Namora said the Kimbe group was nabbed at a local club and detained.
One of the escapees was shot and captured with four others while another escaped.
Kimbe police officers in Kokopo in pursuit of the suspect recovered the stolen vehicle.
They identified most of those caught as prison escapees from Lakiemata Jail and others wanted by Kimbe police for a string of serious crimes.
They will be escorted back to Kimbe.
Namora said the security threat in Kimbe was now subdued.