The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary's (RPNGC) elite Police Tactical Group, Operation Kumul 23, has intensified ground patrols across Enga Province as part of ongoing joint security operations targeting illegal firearms and violent offenders.
The patrols, conducted on Saturday, June 27, involve Operation Kumul 23 working alongside Mobile Squads and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) under an intelligence-led policing strategy aimed at restoring law and order across the province.
The operation combines specialist tactical capabilities, drone surveillance, reconnaissance, rapid forced-entry operations, and intelligence gathering to target high-risk offenders operating in volatile areas.
Enga Provincial Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Steven Harris, said the security situation in the province continues to improve, but police will maintain pressure until communities are safe.
He said intelligence-driven operations are identifying threats before they escalate, restricting the movement of offenders and preventing further outbreaks of violence.
Commander of Upper Highlands Special Operations, Assistant Commissioner Anthony Wagambie Jr., said Operation Kumul 23 was specifically established to respond to high-risk environments where conventional policing alone cannot effectively operate.
"We have trained hard, have the intelligence, capability, and know who the agitators are, and we know who is harbouring suspects and weapons. The question for them now is how long do they think they can run and hide?"
Chief Superintendent Harris warned those involved in illegal firearms, organised violence or harbouring offenders that police will continue to pursue them under the full force of the law.
"I will not mediate with criminals and will not negotiate with criminals. I have been very clear about that, and it is not changing. The only conversation with you is about how you want to come into custody."
He said the law protects every Papua New Guinean equally, regardless of their background.
"The law is not the property of the educated, the privilege of the elite. Every person in Papua New Guinea, the child of a privileged family, the child of a hardworking street vendor, the child of a farmer in the Highlands, every one of them deserves the protection of the law and under my command, they will have it, not the offer of bel kol or compensation for a human life."
Chief Superintendent Harris said security operations will continue throughout Enga and across the Highlands region, adding that police remain active even when they are not visible.
He warned offenders not to mistake the absence of police patrols for the absence of police presence.
