17 escape in Goroka cell breach

Seventeen prisoners escaped from the Goroka Police Station cell lockup on Monday night while officers were finalising security plans for major upcoming events.

The breach occurred around 8pm, during a period when police personnel, including the station commander, were actively working on operational preparations for the Goroka Show and 51st Independence Day celebrations.

Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Chief Supt Albert Beli expressed shock over the incident, describing it as unprecedented in his police career.

“This is something I did not expect and have never experienced in my line of duty before,” Chief Supt Beli said.

He confirmed that a thorough investigation into how the escape occurred is currently underway.

Chief Supt Beli commended the quick response of the Goroka Taskforce unit and duty officers, who managed to recapture eight of the escapees that night. Nine remain at large.

Following an operational briefing yesterday morning, he assured the public that police will utilize all available resources to track down the remaining fugitives.

He appealed to the families of the escapees to report any information regarding their whereabouts to the police and urged the general public to exercise extra caution while the nine suspects remain at large.