Looters steal from container

By Mal Taime

Song Trading Limited lost goods worth more than K190,000 after a container was looted near Aviamp Tea Estate in South Wahgi district of Jiwaka Province last week. The company said last week that the looting was a big loose and it was hard to recover.

According to Song Trading, the goods were valued at K193,347.60 and it would take them a long time to recover these amount. Song Trading said the goods, mainly for school children were brought in from China. They said they already paid the shipment and customs duty but not the transport cost because the goods were not delivered to them safely.

The looting was a big concern, not only for Song Trading but many other business houses and trucking firms that use the Highlands Highway. The company said this was their first time to be hit by looting since they begun operations seven years ago. Police are continuing with their investigation and are confident that the suspects will be arrested soon.

The semi-trailer owned by Mapai Transport was looted near Aviamp Tea Estate between 7 and 8pm when the driver stopped the truck at the side of the road and went to a trade-store to buy a soft drink. Some youths quickly cut the main hose that supplies power to the trailer, disabling the driving mechanism.

The lone driver watched helplessly as the youths opened the door of the container and started looting the goods. Police arrived later, only to find an empty truck and they burnt down several houses at the roadside. PNG Road Transport Association (PNG RTA) has described the looting as criminal and condemned such robberies and called on people living along the highway to change their attitude.

Association chairman Jacob Luke said the National Parliament passed a bill last November to protect road infrastructure and transportation of goods along the highway. Mr Luke said police now have the power to enforce the law and they must not waste time but act immediately to implement it. He said the looting of transport trucks and the deteriorating Highlands Highway were major concerns to all the trucking firms operating along the Highway.