Police Seize Marijuana from Juveniles

Boys as young as 15 years old have been charged and arrested for engaging in the illegal production and trade of marijuana, according to police in Port Moresby.
15 to 17 year old males are the age group that police predominantly deal with, when arresting juveniles.
As a result, police are now calling for tougher laws to be imposed on people in possession of illegal narcotics as they deal with an increasing number of drug busts.
Police have seized over 30 kilograms of marijuana in two separated drug busts on the 19th and 26th of this month.
The first bust occurred at Erima Wildlife Settlement where six male suspects, all from Garaina in Morobe Province, were arrested and charged for the possession of 30.7 kilograms of marijuana in twelve bags.
The street value of the seized drugs is estimated at around K50’000.
Three male adults have been sentenced to serve one year at the Bomana Prison while the other three males, aged between 15 and 17 years old will face the Juvenile Court at Boroko on the 15th of February 2016.
The second drug bust was executed at Six Mile where five male suspects, also from Garaina, were apprehended for possessing 3 kilograms of marijuana.
The suspects are currently locked up at Boroko Police Station and their case will be examined on Tuesday this week.
Police say drug dealers use the route from Garaina through Tapini that links to the Hiritano Highway to transport marijuana into Port Moresby.
Police destroyed over 500 kilograms of marijuana in 2014 and are yet to collate the amount of 2015, which will be destroyed in the follwoing weeks.
In Papua New Guinea, trafficking and possession of illegal drugs carry sentences varying from a minimum of three months to the maximum of two years in prison.
Police told PNG TV Live the laws are insufficient to quell the production, distribution and consumption of marijuana.

Source: PNG TV