Four men implicated in theft of police firearms

FOUR men implicated in the theft of two high-powered firearms from a policeman last December have been charged by police with a string of offences.

Morobe provincial police commander Supt Kaiglo Ambane said the men were charged for being in possession of illegal firearms, illegal ammunition and robbery.

The men were allegedly part of a gang who held up a police officer last year and took the guns.

The policeman was reportedly hired as private security officer by a Morobe politician while he was off duty when the firearms were taken from him. 

The incident happened at the Zenag Corner in Mumeng station. 

Police alleged that the gang had been using the weapons to commit a string of offences, including armed hold-ups along the Lae-Bulolo Highway. 

Officers from the Mobile Squad raided a village in Mumeng last Saturday, after receiving a tip-off that the suspects were hiding there.

However, the suspects had fled before police arrived.

“Police took the wife of the prime suspect into custody and asked the villagers to help catch the suspects,” Ambane said.

He said the villagers responded positively and went into the jungle to search for the suspects.

“They caught four of them, including the ring-leader, and handed them over to police the same afternoon,” Ambane said.

“They also disarmed the gang and recovered the two guns, plus ammunition.”

Ambane said the suspects were remanded at the Bulolo police cell.

He said they would be transported to Lae for their court appearances.