Tough penalties for law breakers

POLICE in East Sepik will not let anyone go free immediately if they are caught crossing the border to Indonesia or returning, police said.
East Sepik police commander Supt Albert Beli said when a person of interest (POI) or a person suspected to be ill was reported to health officers, patient would after treatment be arrested and charged with breaching orders to stop crossing borders under the state of emergency laws.
“We are serious about the disease and we are trying our best to make sure that they do not cross the border to look for money or other items,” he said.
“The areas that the trade took place had reported cases of Covid-19, so it is a warning to those who are still going to the border.”
Supt Beli said the penalty for people crossing the border would be stiffer because there was more awareness going on to stop the crossing and trading.
He said police officers from each district had been deployed to monitor the movement of the people.
He said police from Ambunti and Angoram had been tasked to monitor the Sepik River because those who were trading would travel up and down the river to Frieda and then cross over to the border.
Police from Maprik and Wosera, Supt Beli said, had been tasked to look after the border at Nuku.
People could travel to Nuku, to Vanimo and then to Jayapura.
He said police officers from Wewak were monitoring the west coast road going to Aitape.
Everybody should report those who were travelling around during the SOE, Supt Beli said.
He said checkpoints that had been set up along the highway were removed yesterday and vehicles were now travelling but that did not mean people were free to go anywhere they wanted.