1 day Ago By Miriam Zarriga
FIFTY-SEVEN people were arrested over the weekend with the help of locals following a series of robberies along the Sepik Highway in East Sepik Province. Since the fatal shooting of five armed suspects at the notorious “Bel blo Pik” section between Yeniko and Kombikum in 2023, the highway had been free of major criminal activities until this month, when a local gang, allegedly made up of youths, began targeting travellers. A courageous young Sepik man has been praised by East Sepik police for leading his villagers to fight crime on the Coconut Highway.
Provincial Police Commander Superintendent Christopher Tamari praised the efforts of a Bradley Simon, who mobilised his village people to capture several suspected criminals last weekend. Over the weekend, police made a record number of 57 arrests of alleged suspects in a bus at Yangoru station. Superintendent Christopher Tamari confirmed the arrest of the 57, saying that the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) police officers were now conducting interviews.
“On Friday, a 15-seater bus from Yangoru was returning from Wewak when they were held up at Bel blo Pik, it was the third incident that has occurred along the highway,” Mr Tamari said. “That same Friday, the road near Yangoru station was blocked by locals, who were frustrated by the rise in criminal activities. “That same evening, Bradley Simon at his village, assisted by villagers, apprehended a suspect involved in several armed hold-ups.
“The suspect was taken to Wewak, and he was interviewed and he gave up the names of the gang he was involved with. “On Saturday, the road was cleared but tense, during the course of the clearance of the road, the Wosera-Gawi Ambulance was travelling up the highway when it decided to take a short cut,” Mr Tamari said. “They were ambushed and the gang who were allegedly on the 3-10 bus from Yangoru, held up the ambulance, sexually harassed a woman from Bewani, West Sepik province and threatened the entire staff however, police arrived and fired off several shots, and the suspects decamped but not before damaging the entire ambulance.
” The bus was sighted at Yangoru station, the police officers stopped the bus, and found all the youths in the bus and held all the suspects, and cleared the road block.” “They would all be charged on Wednesday morning (today).” In regards to the “Bel Blo Pik” holdup involving the 15-seater bus on Friday, Maprik CID have apprehended three suspects along the highway as well.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Mr Simon and his villagers picked up another two suspects allegedly involved in the hold-up at Bel Blo Pik. On Monday two suspects suspected, and on Tuesday morning one more arrested. Four are linked to Friday incident, another three are being investigated on whether they were involved or not, PPC Tamari said.
The Wewak CIDs are profiling them, he said. “I want to thank young Bradley Simon and the villagers for doing their part in assisting police apprehend the suspects.”.
