Eight men, including two Chinese nationals accused of orchestrating a black flight, trafficking 72kilograms of methamphetamine valued at K42 million from Morobe’s Bulolo District to Australia in March 2023, will face trial.
This follows the ruling made by the National Court in Lae on Wednesday that the eight accused will proceed to trial after the defendants’ Lawyers asked the court to stop the trial following a no case submission.
Lawyers, Greg Sheppard from Young and Williams Lawyers and Sosten Toggo from Sosten Lawyers submitted that there is no case against their clients and that the matter be struck out due to insufficient evidence and that meth wasn’t considered a criminal element according to the Controlled Substance Act.
Senior National and Supreme Court judge, Justice Panuel Mogish presiding in Lae, made the decision after the State Lawyer rebutted through a submission to the two Counsels’ no case submissions on why the Court should reject the credibility of all the accused evidence and why the court should not rely on them.
Following the State Lawyer’s submission, five witnesses were called by the State to give evidence and two hundred and forty-eight (248) exhibits were tendered by consent and received into evidence during the trial.
The eight accused, including the two Chinese Nationals, 64-year-old Ling Hezong from Fuging City, Fuzieng, China; Chun Li, 43 from Chen City, Guang-Dong, China, and PNG nationals Levi Wartovo, Hosea Tarere, Steven Temen, Alfred Sanage, Luke Mede and Joshua Tupana, were charged on two counts.
One on Money Laundering and the other for Stealing.
On the count of Stealing, the Court found that there was no evidence implicating the accused, Ling Hezong, Chun Li, Levi Wartovo, Hosea Tarere, Steven Temen and Alfred Sanage, because their identity hasn’t been established in the commission of the offense.
However, there’s evidence upon which Joshua Tupana and Luke Mede will face trial, according to the Court.
Justice Mogish ruled that trial will proceed for all eight accused who have a case to answer on the charge of Money Laundering, hence they will face trial.
In March 2023, these eight men were arrested by Lae’s NCIU Police in Lae in relation to the ‘Bulolo Black Flight’.
They appeared before the Lae District Court and were kept under the custody of Lae’s Buimo Correctional Services.
Deputy Commissioner of Police-Specialist Operations, Donald Yamasombi confirmed the arrests saying that a local security firm was alleged to be involved in the transportation of 72 kilograms of methamphetamine at a value cost of K42 million out of Lae into Bulolo and assisted in getting the drugs onboard the flight.
Chinese born business woman and owner of KC 2 in Lae, Morobe Province, Mei Lin, 41, was another suspect arrested in the Australian City of Brisbane on 16 January, 2024. Police accused her of facilitating the ‘Black Flight’ last year.
The drug smuggling scheme was foiled on March 21 in a coordinated operation by PNG and Australian police, who swooped in as the light plane stopped to refuel in the rural Australian community of Monto.
Six people were arrested and charged in Australia, including two pilots.
Eight others were charged in PNG, including a police officer and a soldier.
Mei Lin was the ninth suspect arrested in Brisbane, Australia.
Meanwhile, Defense closed its case just before midday on Thursday (May13) at Lae’s National Court. The matter was further adjourned to 1st of July, 2024 for submission on Verdict.
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