Papua New Guinea Police Arrest Female Foreigner For Illegal Possession Of Arms, Explosives

Papua New Guinea Police Arrest Female Foreigner for Illegal Possession of Arms, Explosives

The police in Papua New Guinea have arrested a 59-year-old woman from the Cook Islands for illegal possession of 150 pieces of C-4 plastic explosives, 250 rounds of live ammunition of various calibres and a sniper rifle, a spokesperson said on Tuesday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th September, 2021) The police in Papua New Guinea have arrested a 59-year-old woman from the Cook Islands for illegal possession of 150 pieces of C-4 plastic explosives, 250 rounds of live ammunition of various calibres and a sniper rifle, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as a widow from Rarotonga Island, has reportedly been staying illegally on the territory of Papua New Guinea since her visa expired on February 4, 2020. The arrest occurred in the city of Alotau in the southeastern province of Milne Bay.

"She has been arrested and charged with one count of being in possession of an unlicensed firearm, one count for being in possession of 20 rounds of 9mm ammunition and one count of being in the country with an expired visa," the police spokesperson was quoted as saying by the National.

The police discovered weapons and ammunition in the woman's possession after she reported a house robbery on September 5. Up to four robbers took the rifle and 20 rounds of ammunition, the woman told the police, which opened an investigation.

The weapons were retrieved in a nearby village. The probe found that the weapons and ammunition in the widow's possession were unregistered and posed a threat. When questioned, the woman revealed to the police the place of storage for other explosives and ammunition in an office of a construction firm.

The woman reportedly refused to explain why these weapons were kept in the office. She was released on bail and is due to be tried on Wednesday.