Armed men hijack plane in Papua New Guinea, steal baggage

Armed man hijacked a charter airplane in Papua New Guinea.The pilot was forced to fly to a remote unused airstrip before the hijackers made off with the cargo. According to media reports, eight armed men approached the plane when it was refueling in Gasmata, on the island of New Britain and forced the pilot to take-off. 

The Robbery

The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary has confirmed that they are investigating the incident and will update once they arrive at a conclusion. 

Read: UP Police Nabs Robbers Trying To Loot A Petrol Pump

The company spokesperson Matthew Brutnall said that there were no passengers on board at the time of the incident. The captain was not injured and the aircraft was also not damaged. The plane was later flown to Port Moresby. The armed men stole the baggage and cargo upon arrival at the airstrip and they fled the crime scene after the incident, Brutnall said.

Read: Son Of Longtime Auburn Team Chaplain Killed In Robbery

The plane belongs to a charter airline company Tropic Air and this is not the first time that their plane has been looted. In 2007, security guards escorting a cash shipment forced the pilots to land the aircraft at a disused World War II airfield. The pilots had quietly raised an alarm shortly after and the police caught four of the armed men and recovered the cash. A fifth man was shot dead. 

Read: WATCH: Gorakhpur SSP Dr. Sunil Gupta Talks About Rs 11 Lakh Robbery

Crime is widespread in Papua New Guinea, the law and order situation in the country continues to pose a serious threat. Violent crime including armed robbery, carjacking, home invasion, and sexual assault is common throughout the region.  

According to the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), PNG’s crime rate is among the highest in the world. Crime rates are highest in and around major cities – such as Port Moresby, Lae, Madang, Mount Hagen, and Goroka.

According to Transparency International’s 2018 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), PNG ranked 138 out of 180 countries, receiving a score of 28 out of 100 that classified it as “highly corrupt.” And this may be one of the reasons behind PNG's growing crime rate. 

Read: Man In Prison 11 Years For Robberies He Didn’t Do Walks Free