Auki police arrest two suspects as part of festive season operation

Officers of the Royal Solomon Island Police Force (RSIPF) in Auki have arrested two suspects as part of police preparedness for the upcoming festive season operation last week.

RSIPF Commissioner Mr. Mostyn Mangau said the first suspect has been arrested at Kona inland in the Central Kwara'ae, while the second suspect was arrested in Auki town.

Commissioner Mangau said the first suspect, a 27-year-old male person, was arrested for producing kwaso (homebrew), and the second suspect, a 25-year-old male person, has been arrested for the sale of liquor without a license.

Mr. Mangau said during the raid and arrest at Kona inland, police have uprooted a huge amount of marijuana plants with street values of thousands of dollars. During the raid, police have encountered rock throwing.

He said as part of the operations, police targeted gabling known as play pass and confiscated several tables and intervened in areas where play pass occurred and destroyed their bases. The organisers of the games evade police arrest on arrival.

Auki police prepared court documents for the two suspects trial for their appearance at Auki Magistrates’ Court on a later date, said Commissioner Mangau.

The police chief appealed to the community leaders of all communities within Kona vicinity in Central Kwara’ae to work together with the police and allow the suspects to surrender to police. This is not good by seeing the huge quantity of marijuana and amount of kwaso in one particular community.

“It destroys families, especially women and children, and poses health risks to our people. This must be stopped, and police will not tolerate such activities. Police will still follow up and arrest these culprits who were involved in these activities,” said Mr. Mangau.