Papua New Guinea: Increased police patrols on Hiritano Highway (Central province) following vehicle attacks November 27

Event

Police have set up increased patrols on the Hiritano Highway (Central Province) as of Friday, November 27, following a series of attacks on vehicles using the road. The deployment comes following a recent attack whereby an individual was killed by robbers targeting a bus carrying betelnut. Residents in Goilala district, where the victim was from, retaliated by setting up a roadblock and attacking a passenger bus, killing three people. Operations aimed at apprehending the suspects are ongoing.

Further attacks on the road, in addition to disruption from increased police patrolling, should be anticipated in the near term. 

Advice

Those in the area are advised to exercise a heightened level of vigilance and ensure security measures are commensurate with the local crime threat environment. Travel in the region should be carefully planned with an in-depth location-specific threat assessment covering residential, workplace, and travel security measures.