6 Jun 2011

Solomons police monitor cross border movement for guns after raid in Shortlands

2:03 pm on 6 June 2011

The Solomon Islands' acting Police Commissioner says the force is doing all it can to prevent guns from being smuggled into the country from neighbouring Papua New Guinea.

Walter Kola says it's difficult to speculate on how rife the problem is but admits that illegal movement across the Solomons border with the autonomous PNG province of Bougainville is an ongoing concern.

This comes as police confirm that four men from Bougainville are suspects in an armed raid in the Western Province last month.

The raid occurred at the Solomon Gold prospecting camp near Kariki in the Shortland Islands.

Mr Kola has confirmed police are trying to track down the guns.

"We've been working on that and that is what our police officers across this border are doing. We check every boat that comes and goes. We want to avoid having guns coming into Solomon Islands."

Walter Kola