Two police officers from the National Capital District (NCD) were arrested and charged in Balimo, Western Province last week for possessing unlicensed firearms. The officers, one a regular member stationed at Hohola and the other a reservist, were detained on July 22, 2024, according to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Perou N’Dranou of Border Command. The officers had arrived in Balimo on a Tropic Air flight and were questioned by local police. “The two officers on arrival when met by the officers at Balimo told the local policemen that they were following a black flight that was coming in from Western Australia to Bali in Indonesia and then would go to Western province,” ACP N’Dranou said. Further questioning revealed that the firearms they were carrying were not licensed, which they said were private guns, but then could not provide licenses. “The reservist then told the local policemen that they were following up on some past cases,” N’Dranou added. The arrest was confirmed by NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Silva Sika, who noted that the officers had travelled without authorization. The police officers from Western Province also confirmed with NCD Metropolitan Superintend Silva Sika that the police officers were based in NCD and went there without any authorization. “Once again I am warning RPNGC members from other commands are not authorized to travel to the Border command unless approval is given by the Divisional Commander," said N'Dranou. "In the pretext of performing legitimate police businesses, members are involved in illegal activities, or sponsored by people with illegal motives." " That will have to be stopped immediately!" "I am also calling on other Divisional Commanders and their Provincial Police Commanders to take stock of the members under their commands." "We all need to prevent such illegal arrangements by members who are easily influenced to get involved in illegal activities that would benefit them; in other words, using the Police for self gains/benefits." "All PPCs and PSCs (Police Station Commanders) from the Border command had been directed to apprehend Police officers travelling to their provinces without approval from their Divisional Commanders.”