PNG police arrest robbery suspects
Updated
Papua New Guinea police have arrested two men suspected of being notorious bank robbers. Four policemen have also been arrested for being in the company of the two suspects.
Presenter: Firmin Nanol
Speaker: PNG's Port Moresby Police Chief, Fred Yakasa
NANOL: PNG police say one of the suspects was allegedly involved in the hijacking of a plane carrying more than one and a half million US dollars last year.
During that robbery, a police reservist was shot dead and the money was recovered .
The second suspect had been on the run since escaping from prison last year. He was serving a jail term for the murder of a policeman.
He is alleged to have been involved in robbing PNG's bank South Pacific of 800 000 US dollars in the tourist township of Madang earlier this month.
Bank workers and the branch manager were taken hostage before the bank was robbed.
Another branch of the bank in the Gulf Province was robbed of 400,000 dollars early last month.
PNG's Port Moresby Police Chief, Fred Yakasa says one of the suspected bank robbers was caught while on his way to PNG's Central Province.
YAKASA: Firstly, we will charge him with stealing while he was in custody and also with firearms
NANOL: So, okay at the moment, so far the four policemen, one ex, and the other serving members. What are they being charged for and?
YAKASA: They are being charged for various offences that is for sure.
NANOL: Why have they been refused bail? Any reasons behind it?
YAKASA: That's of course under discussion. Well outside, they might interfere with innocent people. While we are taking in charge of what we can from here.
NANOL: Has he received any medical treatment as yet? I believe he has been quite injured on the legs?
YAKASA: Medical treatment that has been arranged, because this guy has a lot of money, he's stolen a lot of money, and anything can happen in terms of money, money can change peoples minds. So we are being cautious about what we are doing about it.
NANOL: Mr Yakasa says 4 uniformed policemen were also caught at a road check in Port Moresby .
They were captured unharmed despite an order from PNG's Police Commissioner, Gari Baki who issued a'' to shoot to kill warning to criminals wearing police uniforms.
The four policemen have been charged for being in company of a known suspect and detained in PNG's Bomana jail outside Port Moresby.
More than 30 other people including a woman have also been arrested and detained for harbouring the suspected bank robbers
