As the manhunt for the suspects that robbed the Leon Hardware shop in Kokopo on Monday continues, East New Britain (ENB) Provincial Police Commander, Chief Inspector Janarius Vosivai is now calling for the communities surrounding town to assist in the apprehension of the 22 suspects involved in the robbery.
Vosivai made this call, urging the general public to stand together in solidarity against these criminals and let justice prevail in the Province. He said this is the third armed robbery that has occurred in town and by the same group.
“We are appealing to the communities to assist with the whereabouts of these people now. That’s all that we ask from the community.”
Vosivai also confirmed that 4 escapees from the Kerevat Correctional Institution in Kokopo who escaped from the prison facility last year, are part of the 22 bandits that robbed the Leon Hard shop on Monday.
“Four of the armed robbers are escapees. They escaped from Kerevat two weeks ago and have been on the run since then.”
He added that they have identified all suspects involved in the incident and units have been dispatched around town in search of them.
The men, all believed to be local youths, stormed the hardware store and in what appears to be a record time of 2 minutes, grabbing personal items from the staff of the shop and also making their getaway with all cash registers in the shop. The incident occurred between 1:00pm and 2:00pm on Monday.
Armed robberies have somewhat been non-existent in the province, this can be attributed to the peaceful nature of the people of ENB. But since the breakout at Kerevat, the Province has seen a steady rise in such incidents.