Citizens Arrest - Current Government Minister and MPs Involved,
David Muri
VILLAGERS in Western Highlands arrested six members of a gang after a five hour gun battle two days ago and handed the badly wounded men over to police. The gang had invaded the exploration camp operated by Harmony Gold - the developer of the Hidden Valley and Wafi gold mine in Bulolo, Morobe Province — and after failing, they shot at a helicopter hired by the mining company.
The pilot escaped unhurt but was reportedly left traumatised by the drama that unfolded at Kuranga in the Dei District of Western Highlands Province last Friday. TEPKA and Wuli villagers caught six members of a fully armed gang and handed over the badly wounded gangsters to police at Kotna on Saturday in an event provincial police commander Kaiglo Ambane described as “a first of its kind” in the province.
Those nabbed were part of a criminal syndicate allegedly being sponsored by elites and had been operating in the province for some time. The criminals were rounded up and held by villagers in a “citizen’s arrest” after they attempted to rob workers at Harmony Gold’s exploration site at Kuranga.
The gang members and two villagers are fighting for their lives at Mt Hagen General Hospital following the shootout. Reports are scratchy as the area is only accessible by air, but according to Mr Ambane, a helicopter hired by the company was shot at by the gang when their robbery attempt failed.
Chief Supt Ambane said the helicopter received minor damage, adding the pilot was unhurt but in a state of trauma. Reports say villagers and the criminals exchanged fire in a gun battle for several minutes before the gang retreated by taking the eight-hour bush track back to Kotna. SOS calls from the remote area from a satellite phone alerted police and locals at Kotna who blocked all exits from the forested range.
A police contingent was immediately sent to Kuranga after the surprise raid. Community leaders alleged that businessmen and politicians funded the unsuccessful raid. They asked Mr Ambane to thoroughly investigate and apprehend the sponsors of the gang so that they too could face the full force of the law.
“They become overnight millionaires because of such illegal activities. But they escape when the small man ends up in prison or gets badly beaten,” Tepka councillor Single Merua said.
Reverend James Koi said sophisticated weapons and the car used in dropping off the gang came from prominent people. It is believed villagers were told of the identities of the “big men” when interrogating the criminals.
Rev Koi said whether the raid was intended to jeopardise the current explorations or a planned robbery was not known and police expected to establish the motive through their own investigations.
Youth leader Tony Pon said the gang raided the area thinking that Harmony Gold and the Mineral Resource Authority would pay landowners a substantial amount of money for environmental damage that day.
He said after realising that there was no cash transported into the camp, the gang shot at the chopper. Mr Ambane said the sponsors of the gang were known to police and would be arrested and charged. Chief Supt Ambane said the captured suspects were teenagers from Baiyer and Kindeng. He said charges would be laid including attempted robbery and attempted murder on the detained suspects.
VILLAGERS in Western Highlands arrested six members of a gang after a five hour gun battle two days ago and handed the badly wounded men over to police. The gang had invaded the exploration camp operated by Harmony Gold - the developer of the Hidden Valley and Wafi gold mine in Bulolo, Morobe Province — and after failing, they shot at a helicopter hired by the mining company.
The pilot escaped unhurt but was reportedly left traumatised by the drama that unfolded at Kuranga in the Dei District of Western Highlands Province last Friday. TEPKA and Wuli villagers caught six members of a fully armed gang and handed over the badly wounded gangsters to police at Kotna on Saturday in an event provincial police commander Kaiglo Ambane described as “a first of its kind” in the province.
Those nabbed were part of a criminal syndicate allegedly being sponsored by elites and had been operating in the province for some time. The criminals were rounded up and held by villagers in a “citizen’s arrest” after they attempted to rob workers at Harmony Gold’s exploration site at Kuranga.
The gang members and two villagers are fighting for their lives at Mt Hagen General Hospital following the shootout. Reports are scratchy as the area is only accessible by air, but according to Mr Ambane, a helicopter hired by the company was shot at by the gang when their robbery attempt failed.
Chief Supt Ambane said the helicopter received minor damage, adding the pilot was unhurt but in a state of trauma. Reports say villagers and the criminals exchanged fire in a gun battle for several minutes before the gang retreated by taking the eight-hour bush track back to Kotna. SOS calls from the remote area from a satellite phone alerted police and locals at Kotna who blocked all exits from the forested range.
A police contingent was immediately sent to Kuranga after the surprise raid. Community leaders alleged that businessmen and politicians funded the unsuccessful raid. They asked Mr Ambane to thoroughly investigate and apprehend the sponsors of the gang so that they too could face the full force of the law.
“They become overnight millionaires because of such illegal activities. But they escape when the small man ends up in prison or gets badly beaten,” Tepka councillor Single Merua said.
Reverend James Koi said sophisticated weapons and the car used in dropping off the gang came from prominent people. It is believed villagers were told of the identities of the “big men” when interrogating the criminals.
Rev Koi said whether the raid was intended to jeopardise the current explorations or a planned robbery was not known and police expected to establish the motive through their own investigations.
Youth leader Tony Pon said the gang raided the area thinking that Harmony Gold and the Mineral Resource Authority would pay landowners a substantial amount of money for environmental damage that day.
He said after realising that there was no cash transported into the camp, the gang shot at the chopper. Mr Ambane said the sponsors of the gang were known to police and would be arrested and charged. Chief Supt Ambane said the captured suspects were teenagers from Baiyer and Kindeng. He said charges would be laid including attempted robbery and attempted murder on the detained suspects.
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