KOKOPO, Papua New Guinea (AFP) — A charter airline in Papua New Guinea (PNG) said armed men hijacked one of its planes Tuesday and forced the pilot to fly to a remote unused airstrip before they made off with the cargo.
Tropicair told AFP that eight armed men approached the plane as it was refuelling in Gasmata, on the island of New Britain and forced the pilot to take off.
A company spokesman said there were no other passengers on board.
“Upon arrival at the airstrip, the armed men stole the baggage and cargo that was on board the aircraft and fled the area,” Matthew Brutnall said.
“The captain was not injured during this event and the aircraft was not damaged” and has since been returned to Port Moresby.
A traditional dish called zongzi is served during China’s Dragon Boat Festival, which falls in June. It is a rice…
Divina credited the firm’s achievements to its members, thanking them for their ‘hard work, dedication, teamwork, and…
‘Sec. Vince Dizon, please explain how this finding of your own team should not be flagged as a ghost project in Taguig.’
The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary confirmed they are now investigating the incident.
West New Britain Police Commander John Midi told AFP that “police still have no details on the cargo that was stolen and we will rely on the information given by the complainants.”
Gasmata is a remote part of the island’s south coast on a route predominantly used by workers on nearby logging projects.
Midi confirmed the pilot was not injured, but may have been traumatized by threats from the armed assailants.
Crime is widespread in PNG and this is not the first time Tropicair has suffered a hijacking.
In 2007, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that security guards escorting a cash shipment forced Tropicair pilots to land at a disused World War II airfield and made off in a dinghy for the mainland.
