COMMISSIONER of Police, David Manning, has welcomed the penalties recently handed down to drug smugglers that include a foreigner sentenced to 19 years in a PNG jail.
Manning said he is issuing a clear message to drug smugglers attempting to use PNG to move contraband that they will be caught and spend a long time in jail.
“Gone are the days where foreign criminals can trash our sovereignty and think they can just walk free. Today they will be caught and learn what hard justice is all about,” Commissioner Manning said.
“The National Court has imprisoned an Italian citizen for 19 years along with three locals incarcerated for 18 years and I am satisfied with these sentences. For too long foreigners were given light sentences or let off, but no longer.
“We are catching more and more drug smugglers in recent years, particularly working with our traditional law enforcement partners in Australia and emerging law enforcement partners from across the world.
“These criminals don’t stop at borders, which is why we are working more closely than ever before with our partners across our region. Our information sharing arrangements, exchange of technical expertise, and joint operation arrangements are going from strength to strength. “Anyone trying to smuggle drugs through our country can expect to be caught, and face PNG justice systems and our prisons.
“To any drug smuggler trying to exploit our country or our institutions, they must face the hard reality that our investigation abilities have improved significant, and our judicial system and jails deliver real justice.
Foreigners jailed in PNG find out very quickly that our jails are not like the luxury facilities that can be found elsewhere. Our justice systems deliver cold, hard, real justice.”
The Commissioner said the smuggling of cocaine, methamphetamines and other drugs is taking lives in Papua New Guinea and countries like Australia, and must be stamped out at all costs.
“Drugs kill our kids, destroy families and ruin communities, so we are all working together to lock up the filth who smuggle and sell the drugs.
“To anyone planning to deal in drugs, I can say that you will find our region a much smaller place than it once was. For those who seek to exploit our communities, you are warned – our investigators, judicial systems and jails are well up to the task of delivering real justice.
