POLICE in Jiwaka Province seized a military-issued hand grenade and arrested two suspects during a late afternoon operation in Banz yesterday.
Acting Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Jiwaka, Chief Inspector Laimo Asi, said the arrests followed a tip-off that led to surveillance by local police. The suspects were apprehended inside the Banz main market at around 6 p.m.
They are now being detained at the Banz Police Station, while the grenade has been handed over to military officials at the Papua New Guinea Defense Force establishment in Kerowil for safekeeping.
“The bomb will be displayed in court for exhibit once we charge and prosecute the suspects,” PPC Asi said.
He attributed the arrests to effective intelligence gathering and collaboration with the local community.
In a separate operation, police discovered a garden of tall marijuana plants in a village near Banz Station. Two male suspects were arrested, and the drugs were uprooted and taken to the Banz Police Station as evidence.
Meanwhile, a tree that had fallen across the Okuk Highway after its stump was deliberately set on fire disrupted traffic flow in the area. Members of the Highway Patrol quickly attended to the scene, removing the obstruction and restoring access for commuters.
PPC Asi said opportunists taking advantage of the situation by collecting illegal fees from stranded travelers were dispersed and warned to cease extorting money along the highway.
In another operation, Jiwaka police raided a village in Klanga, North Whagi, today and arrested a woman for producing homebrew liquor.
The arrest of the woman brings the total number of suspects detained by Jiwaka police to five over the past two days.