(Report by Police Media Officer Andrew Philip.)
Police Commissioner David Manning says a successful interception of a black flight aircraft and apprehension of five men in Queensland, Australia was a collaborative effort between PNG and Australian law enforcement agencies.
The black flight is a small aircraft used to fly undetected into certain areas to pick up and deliver illicit drugs. They mostly use remote unmonitored airstrips, which PNG and North Australia have. These black flights are conducted by criminal syndicates in an effort to transport narcotics which cause harm both in PNG and within Australia.
Commissioner Manning said the Australian law enforcement officers located 52 kilograms of methamphetamine worth around AU$20 million on the aircraft.
Commissioner Manning said this was not a new investigation as the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) and the Australian Federal Police and other law enforcement agencies in Australia have been working closely since November 2022.
Commissioner Manning said the positive outcome was a result of close collaboration between the RPNGC and Australian law enforcement partners and air traffic control agencies. He said the RPNGC, since working with the Australian authorities, have allowed for a wider net to be cast, thus resulting in the apprehension of transnational offenders in PNG and across the Pacific.
Mr Manning said the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary is committed to work with its partners in the Pacific to break the criminal business model. He said transnational crime and narcotics trade have no place in PNG or the wider Pacific region.
“With our partners we are committed to make our pacific region a hostile and disruptive environment for the transnational criminal element. We are also committed to strengthening our drug legislation to ensure that penalties reflect the severity of offending here in PNG,” Mr Manning said.
He said the recent arrest shows the commitment of PNG and Australian partners to keep PNG and our Pacific family free from the scourge of narcotics.
Mr Manning said police have also apprehended a 42-year-old male Chinese national at the Lae airport on Wednesday. He said the suspect is currently detained and being questioned by police.
Mr Manning said a similar method was previously attempted in 2020, which saw the pilot of a light aircraft (David Cutmore) sentenced to 18 years imprisonment. He said four people remain before the court in PNG and four more remain before the court in Australia.
