On Sunday, more than ten local youths from Mt Sisa Komo abducted a standard operations maintenance crew travelling on a helicopter during their routine operations on to a Digicel telecommunication tower on Mt Sisa Tari Hela and demanded K5 million.
However the kidnappers were immediately dispersed by police, security personnel and the Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF).
This is according to th. Acting Provincial Police Commander (PPC) for Tari Hela, Robin Bore.
Bore told PNG HAUSBUNG that thanks to quick directives from the Police Commissioner to police units, and the Security personnel and PNGDF from Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Heights, Komo quickly engaged by dropping of armed forces surrounding Mt Sisa.
According to Acting PPC Bore, the number of reinforcements intimidated the kidnappers, forcing them to flee the scene in fear enabling the pilot and the two subcontractor to escape the scene in their helicopter late that afternoon without any harm done.
The armed police, PNGDF and security personnel surrounded and searched Mt Sisa for the kidnappers with assistance from the Mt Sisa locals, chasing them from the scene and relaying information that may be of use to police.
PPC Bore added that though no one was arrested, police have confiscated the kidnapper’s firearms and machetes that were left behind and have collected the full name details of the local kidnappers in their local area and they will be arrested as soon as possible.
Furthermore PPC Bore pleaded to the local leaders in Mt Sisa to take control over the youth and to stop exercising nuisance activities that goes against the public services safety and especially the law.
“The People of Tari must understand these are services that we all use and must not disturb its operations, for all our sake.”
“We need to protect it and not harm it,” said PPC Bore.
PCC Bore concluded mentioning the three captive including the pilot and the two subcontractors escaped the scene unharmed.