Villagers told to surrender culprits who set up illegal roadblocks

EASTERN Highlands police commander Supt Michael Welly was disgusted with the number of drunken people on the road when he drove through the provincial section of the Highlands Highway over Christmas and New Year.
He said “too many drunken people were on the road between Goroka and Kainantu and further on to Aiyura”. He wants leaders and people of Magiro to help police surrender those who had set up roadblocks there to demand money from passing motorists and passengers or he would organise a police raid of the village to flush out the perpetrators, he said.
“I appeal to leaders and people of Magiro to assist police to surrender the suspects that set up roadblocks that caused an accident, if not police will forcefully raid the village to round up the suspects,” Supt Welly said.
He said fortunately not too many vehicles had travelled along that section of the highway so accidents were perhaps avoided at the Magiro section near the border of Chimbu and Eastern Highlands. He said people on the road outnumbered his men so police could not do anything.
“I tried to disperse some of them but there were too many, maybe they saw my vehicle and stopped attacking it. But I warn people not to travel the highway in future festive seasons,” he said.
Supt Welly wants the provincial government, Governor Peter Numu and MPs there to stop the sale and consumption of alcohol.
“Consumption of cheap alcohol products with high percentage of alcohol are the cause of law and order problems,” he said.
“I want to see more controlled sales of alcohol in the province.”