Madang police has reported a significant incident within the last 24 hours involving the death of an armed criminal during a thwarted armed holdup. Provincial Police Commander Acting Superintendent, Robert Baim, says the attempted armed holdup occurred between 06:15 am to 06:30 am at Madang Airport Road, opposite James Burns and the Yaul Manjuwat DCA Settlement, towards the Sewage Garden. Police Mobile 14 Northern Mobile Group (NMG) on rotational deployment with the Ramu Nickel MCC at Glass House for routine escort duty, encountered the situation at Kubai Junction. Approximately ten armed criminals, wielding homemade guns, bush knives, and wire catapults, attempted to ambush the Assert Protection Officer (APD) vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, and fired wire catapults at the vehicle. Despite the vehicle being hit, the APDs maneuvered through the attack. Officers in the rear car witnessed the incident and swiftly responded. They engaged the armed suspects, closing in on them as one suspect aimed a homemade gun at an officer from a distance while another suspect had already attacked the first car with a wire catapult, lodging it in the left side door. Madang Transnational Crime and National Criminal Intelligence Units (TCU-NCIU) were alerted by Mobile 14, and upon arrival at the scene, confirmed the identities of the assailants and provided assistance to the wounded, who were transported to Modilon General Hospital Accident and Emergency. Approximately an hour later, Modilon Hospital Emergency Staff reported that the wounded suspect had succumbed to their injuries. The deceased body was subsequently taken to the morgue after being pronounced dead by a medical doctor. The deceased armed criminal was identified as Fabian Morris, aged 24, from Mundu village, Madang Province. Additionally, He was a known member of an organized gang group operating in Madang, known as ZULU 58, which includes members from DCA, BMR, Mero, Sagalau Abbitor, and Wagol Youths. The gang is notorious for major crimes in Madang town and its outskirts. Members of ZULU 58 typically bear gang patches or tattoos on their backsides, symbolizing their affiliation. Morris was a self-employed criminal who had a history of involvement in various criminal activities, including break and enter thefts, armed robbery, and armed holdups. While he had no previous convictions, he had several pending investigations against him. Furthermore, the Madang Transnational Crime Units and National Criminal Intelligence Units had been monitoring Morris due to his extensive criminal record until his demise during the foiled armed holdup. Meanwhile PPC Baim says this should serve as a warning to criminals attempting to defy the law, asserting that they will not tolerate such disrespectful behaviour toward the law-abiding citizens of the nation and have express their frustration, stating that they are fed up. “If individuals are armed, the police will not hesitate to take them down to prevent harm to innocent lives.”