Papua New Guinea’s police have rescued 39 Indonesian victims of an alleged international human trafficking operation in Port Moresby.
In a statement, the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) said four Chinese nationals have been detained as police prepare a range of serious charges.
It said police executed search warrants at a downtown Port Moresby residence on Tuesday morning, based on intelligence developed by the RPNGC Transnational Crime Directorate, where they located five women and 34 men confined inside a three-bedroom property.
According to police, the 39 individuals were allegedly approached through social media with false offers of employment, and subsequently held against their will as part of a complex people-smuggling enterprise.
PNG police commissioner David Manning has warned that there would be “no leniency for those who traffic and exploit people”.
Manning said investigators would ensure that every offender was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The police chief added that they would seek penalties that reflect the seriousness of these crimes.
“Investigators are tracing the movements and connections of the alleged traffickers, including members of the network operating both within Papua New Guinea and overseas. We expect this work to lead to further arrests,” Manning said.
The safety, welfare and dignity of the victims remain the immediate priority, and the PNG government is working with the Indonesian embassy to provide consular support, he added.
“It is deeply disturbing that such alleged crimes could occur in our country. At the same time, we commend the professional RPNGC investigators that located these victims and brought them to safety,” Manning said.
Deputy polcie commissioner for special operations Donald Yamasombi, who led the operation, said the outcome marked an important success against the serious threat of transnational crime.
“Initial inquiries indicate that those detained may be connected to a wider transnational human trafficking syndicate operating between Southeast Asia and the Pacific,” Yamasombi said.
He said PNG police would work closely with international policing partners to support efforts to identify and dismantle any offshore components of the criminal network.
Investigations are ongoing.
