Dili, 29
January 2003
PKF support police operation in Lakalese
PKF soldiers assisted local police in the arrest of 13 people in the village of Lakalese (approximately 10km north west of Suai) yesterday morning.
Members of the Singaporean Company, attached to the Thai Battalion, assisted the local police in a continuation of the operation that had led to the detention of seven people on Monday afternoon. Two of the seven people detained on Monday turned out to be witnesses and were subsequently released.
The arrest of the 13 people yesterday morning brings the number of people arrested on charges of extortion in the last couple of days to 18. Those detained were transported to Suai TLPS station where they are being held awaiting transport to Dili for judicial processing.
Commenting on the arrests that took place on Monday, the Commander of Sector West, Colonel Wayne Bowen, said that “the apprehension of this group was another example of the success of TLPS in policing Cova Lima District”.
Sector West Forces consist of troops from Australia, Thailand, Fiji and Singapore whose mission is to maintain a secure environment in order to support the RDTL government in defeating security threats to its territorial integrity. Sector West troops will continue to assist the TLPS actively by maintaining security in the area.