By Rachael Shisei – EM TV, Madang
The Madang police have managed to catch up and apprehend 3 suspects, linked to the Hokit Supermarket robbery this morning.
The Provincial Police Commander, Sylvestor Kalaut, said a total of K111,132 was stolen, only K42,360 was recovered, with a total of K68,772 still missing.
The PPC clarified that a series of events took place straight after the robbery, leaving only one of the three suspects now detained.
The incident happened when one of the supermarket’s assistant, a female carrying the money in a bag and walking to the bank, was robbed in the middle of Nuna street between 9 and 10 o’clock this morning.
Nuna street is located near the Madang Air Niugini office.
She was attacked by three men, two approaching her in the front and one at the back.
Reports said the two men infront had strangled her, while the other man at her back kicked her right leg, pulled the bag of money and ran off.
The woman called for help and several members of the public started chasing the suspects.
While the public were all chasing the man with the cash bag, the other two got away.
It so happened that a group of men, mainly bus drivers and crew, caught the robber. It is alleged that the bus drivers made off with the bag of cash.
Allegations continue that the coaster bus with the money bag was then chased by a ten-seater vehicle.
When stopped, the bus driver was beaten by the ten-seater’s driver and crew, who in turn ran off with the bag of money.
At that moment, eye witnesses have led police to the scene where the bag of money was thrown around, and the money was handed to police by the ten-seater driver.
All suspects pointed out by the public to be involved were taken in for questioning. Of the three initial robbers on Nuna Street, one has been detained, along with two other men, the driver and crew of a highway coaster bus.
PPC Kalaut added that the series of events that took place before police caught up saw more than half of the money lost on the way.
Some of the money were collected in the ten-seater vehicle, some in the highway bus’ driver and crew’s pockets, hands and underwears, and some on the streets.
