OPPOSITION Leader Joseph Lelang says Papua New Guinea’s Intelligence Capability is a crying shame.
Mr Lelang currently serving his third term as Member for Kandrian Gloucester Open said the emergence of geo politics in the Western Pacific especially in PNG has raised strategic issues of national security given our country’s strategic proximity to Australia, Indonesia and Solomon Island.
He said the United States and Australia have recently embark on massive naval capacity building in Lombrum, Manus, while China has indicated its willingness to set up fishing processing facility in Daru, just a stone throw from Australia.
“Solomon Island recently defected from its alliance with Taiwan and China is showing growing interest there and this prompted the US to open up its new Diplomatic Chancery building in Honiara from the past secondment in Port Moresby.
What is the capacity of PNG’s national Intelligence Organization (NIO) in advising the Government on associated national security risks and potential risks, tracking and monitoring of people?” Mr Lelang questioned.
He said PNG is also witnessing a new trend of foreign organised crimes involved in drug trafficking through cross border crimes, shipment of drugs through yacht and cargo vessels and reports of an underworld mephantimin laboratory built in Port Moresby, reports of massive tax evasion in logging sector, organise sex rings associated with rogue enforcement officers and protection fees etc.
The Opposition Leader said the Post Courier front page report on Thursday March 2nd on our policemen using Meth and supplying the streets of Port Moresby now questions the government on the Intelligence capability of the country.
He said the reports of organise syndicates operating in PNG and overseas involvement in money laundering and causing depression on foreign Reserves has surfaced.
“Indonesians are openly crossing into PNG side of the border at Bensbach, Bula and Torasi area in search of food and wild life and exchanging gifts like cigarettes, sex objects and sex enhancement drugs, oil etc, with security officers if encounter at the unmanned borders in the jungles and all these indicate that we have a serious national security issue from an intelligence perspective.
What is the capability of the National Intelligence Organization in tracking such organized crimes and in advising the State?
We understand the Office of NIO is not functioning effectively, what is the Government doing about all this?” Mr Lelang asked.
