42 Baker gangsters captured, 60-day manhunt intensifies

 News that matter in Papua New Guinea

With an infected gunshot wound in his right leg, Toaleki Tomoufa, 20, surrendered to police in Alotau on Wednesday (May 26, 2021).

42 Baker gangsters captured, 60-day manhunt intensifies

PORT MORESBY: Police are piling up the pressure on the manhunt for Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s most wanted criminal Tommy Baker and his gangsters in a 60-day operation in Alotau.

A henchman of Baker, Toaleki Tomoufa, 20, who was shot and injured in the April 29 attack and burning down of police barracks surrendered yesterday.

This brings to 42 the number of Baker gang members who have been arrested or shot dead.

The manhunt for some 28 Baker gang members, including Baker himself, is ongoing.

Read details of the news update on the biggest and costliest (K2.2 million) manhunt ever launched by the police for a criminal as reported by The National:

Police track Baker

May 27, 2021The NationalMain Stories

David Manning

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
POLICE are tracking the movement of wanted criminal Tommy Baker and his gang members, setting a 60-day timeframe for their operation in Alotau, says Police Commissioner David Manning.
Yesterday, one of the gang members who had an infected gunshot wound, gave himself up to police and was taken to the Alotau Hospital for treatment.
Comm Manning told The National that the police operation to find Baker would “more or else take the same amount of time it took to get (the late notorious criminal) William Kapris”.
“It is an ongoing operation.
“We made an assessment, we were briefed and we are working with (the people of Alotau) to not only regain their confidence, but also (establish) a community information network to facilitate the surrender or capture of Tommy Baker and his gang,” Comm Manning said.
The cost of the police 60-day operation is around K2.2 million and will be implemented in phases.
Some of the funding will be used for normal daily police operations.
“It would require a two-month period to get on top of the current situation in the province,” he said.
“The operation would take 60 days at its minimum best timeframe to work in.”
Police will make a submission to Cabinet and also brief ministers on the situation on the ground in Alotau and what is required to ensure “we are in a position that guarantees a greater degree of success of the operation”.
“We are currently looking at reinforcing current efforts with a forensics team to come in, and the arson case relating to the burning of the police barracks to be investigated and documented,” Manning said.

Baker’s ally surrenders

May 27, 2021The NationalMain Stories

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
A MAN who claims to be a close associate of wanted criminal Tommy Baker has given himself up to police in Alotau.
Toaleki Tomoufa, 20, known also as Toxy, from Dabobo village in the Gopaya-Nigila local level government in Alotau, was brought in on a makeshift stretcher because of a gunshot wound on his leg he reportedly got during the clash with police last month.
Police sources in Alotau told The National that Tomoufa, who claims to be one of Baker’s gunmen, surrendered yesterday at Kelewa village in the Maramatana local level government in Alotau.
It followed negotiations between officers from the police intelligence and juvenile units and some members of Baker’s gang in the bush to bring out the injured Tomoufa.
Officers from the intelligence and major crimes units, supported by mobile squad members, picked Tomoufa up.
They took him to the Alotau Hospital to be admitted because of the infected gunshot wound on his leg.
Police said he also had other injuries after police fired on the gang along the North Coast highway after the confrontation with police on April 29 and 30.
It is understood that Tomoufa with others fled into the Gopaya mountains.
They managed to establish contact with an officer from the police juvenile justice unit.
He was carried down from the mountains by fellow gang members to Taupota and handed over to police at Kelewa village.
Police tried to talk to the gang members who brought him down about surrendering too.
“They are willing to come out of hiding but stated that there is no guarantee for their safety,” a source said.
Maramatana LLG councillor Robert Adilawa assured police that he would try to convince them to give themselves up too.
Adilawa also said that most of those in hiding were not criminals but were only worried about their safety.

Businesses hail repatriation plan

May 27, 2021The NationalMain Stories

By CLARISSA MOI
MEMBERS of the business community in Milne Bay have welcomed the decision by the provincial law and order committee to conduct a voluntary repatriation/resettlement exercise for squatters.
Milne Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Jeff Abel said many employees of businesses lived in the settlements around Alotau town.
Members of the business community last week had a meeting with Police Commissioner David Manning, Alotau MP Charles Abel, plus officials from the district and provincial administrations.
“A lot of business owners have staff living in the squatter settlements,” Abel said.
“So the decision was made to continue what was started some years back to remove illegal settlements under the same repatriation programme, with assistance from the district and the provincial governments.”
Manning visited the town last week to see the aftermath of the clashes last month between police and the criminal gang reportedly led by Tommy Baker.
“(Manning) talked about police operations and the reasons for taking a strong stand against the settlements in light of the evidence of their involvement in the attack on the town, and tracking down the gang members who are a real threat to our town,” he said.
“Business houses with staff in these areas are asked to (provide) accommodation to those who are being moved.”
He said they had been given 60 days to make arrangements before police stepped up their operations.
Alotau MP Abel told The National yesterday that the decision to conduct a voluntary repatriation or resettlement for the squatters was based on the recommendation of police commander Supt Peter Barkie.
“(PPC Barkie) explained it was impossible to maintain law and order when an incident occurred and hundreds of youths emerged from the settlements to take advantage,” Abel said.
Alotau has been running a settlement repatriation programme since 2008.