Villagers call on water police to do frequent patrols

COASTAL villages in Labuta LLG, Nawaeb, Morobe have urged Lae water police to do frequent patrols during the festive season.
Villagers from Widuru, Buakwa and Taemi made the call after police went to the villages and removed homebrew-making equipment recently.
The water police were providing security for the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) who were checking out early childhood programmes in the coastal villages of Nawaeb when they came across reports of homebrew production.
The police team headed by Const Neill Wimbi removed three gas bottles used in producing homebrew from Taemi and Bukang villages.
“Village leaders identified four homebrew producers at Taemi village but only one surrendered and three did not,” Const Wimbi said.
“The leaders will find them and bring them.
“Bukang village surrendered two gas bottles to the village leaders before we arrived.
“I promised the villages that I will talk to the officer in charge of water police, Sgt James Maiwan, and he will raise their concerns with the provincial police commander to have police patrol the coastal villages during the festive period.
“There were also reports of people smuggling drugs from boats into the villages and we will look at that.
“The communities responded well to police and want help stop illegal activities from happening,” Const Wimbi said.