Commissioner of Police David Manning has welcomed the penalties recently handed down to drug smugglers that include a foreigner sentenced to 19 years in a PNG jail. Manning said it serves as a clear warning to drug smugglers attempting to use PNG to move contraband that they will be caught and will do extensive jail time in PNG. “Gone are the days where foreign criminals can trash our sovereignty and think they can just walk free.
Today they will be caught and learn what hard justice is all about,” Manning said. “The National Court has imprisoned an Italian citizen for 19 years along with three locals incarcerated for 18 years and I am satisfied with these sentences. For too long foreigners were given light sentences or let off, but no longer.
“We are catching more and more drug smugglers in recent years, particularly working with our traditional law enforcement partners in Australia and emerging law enforcement partners from across the world. These criminals don’t stop at borders, which is why we are working more closely than ever before with our partners across our region. Our information sharing arrangements, exchange of technical expertise, and joint operation arrangements are going from strength to strength.
“Anyone trying to smuggle drugs through our country can expect to be caught, and face PNG justice systems and our prisons. “To any drug smuggler trying to exploit our country or our institutions, they must face the hard reality that our investigation ab.
