Hela in recent times has been labelled a melting pot of unrest, but thanks to an early Christmas present in the form of new Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Chief Superintendent Joseph Tondop, this Christmas has seen little to no major incidents being reported in the province.
Tondop said since their operations were launched on Thursday last week, Hela province for the first time in a long time has been quiet and he attributed this to the ongoing awareness being conducted by police in Hela.
“As far as the Christmas operations are concerned, we have not received any reports of any major incidents but we are still on alert and keeping an ear out for anything.”
Tondop also said that Hela Police will be focusing heavily on monitoring the main supply routes into the province during their festive operations.
The PPC said that during this period, they will be on the lookout for any suspicious persons looking to take advantage of the festivities by attacking and robbing transportation vehicles of goods in and out of the province.
“Sometimes opportunists try to attack these supply routes, so one of our main concerns is to make sure they are safe for goods and services to reach the people. We will be keeping an eye out for armed men and to ensure that the roads remain safe for those commuting as well.”
He also thanked all the hardworking security personnel that are currently engaged in the ops, including those of the PNG Defence Force for their continuous support as they try their very best to restore peace and order in the province.