Originally published August 2, 2020

Federal Police omitted to mention this part of the drug operation:

Letter to the Editor

from Susan Merrell, PNG,  30 July 2020

Strong allegations:

What and who is behind the July 26 plane crash at Papa LeaLea? Are government agencies in PNG progressing from mere corruption into the drug trade and international crime?

Implicated is Deputy Police Commissioner Operations Donald Yamasombi who is said to have been at the crash site of aircraft, registration VHTSI at LeaLea, near Port Moresby before the AFP arrived but “said nothing” about the crash. Why not?

This accusation forms part of the unverified information I have been receiving from reliable sources, sources that I’m confident would not knowingly mislead.

PNG police attend the crash of a Cessna 404 which flew from Mareeba FNQ airport, Far North Queensland. The Cessna 404 is the largest of the twin engine Cessna piston aircraft range. Built solidly it can carry 9 passengers and luggage or uplift 1 tonne of freight.
It has some 8 hours of endurance and because of its geared propellers it is one of the quietest twin engine aircraft ever built. 

The aircraft is suspected to have landed to load a cargo of cocaine on a flight, probably returning to Australia from where it had originally taken off. The question is: where did the cocaine come from and who was facilitating this?

As told to me:
“The flight left Mareeba [in Northern Queensland] and was tracked by the Aussies all the way to final impact. Shortly after take off the pilot turned off transponders [and other tracking instruments] mistakenly believing this would make him blind to radar tracking. (A lesson learnt from the MH70 fiasco!)

The strip at LeaLea is an old disused/abandoned strip but still marked on older and better navigation maps. The ever-helpful villagers had cleared it just enough for this flight. The plane landed, loaded the drugs and again, thanks to the villagers, was refuelled – the empty avgas drums were on site, probably still are?

Over 500 kg of cocaine eventually seized by police

It should have had more than enough fuel on board for a return to Mareeba – if that’s where it was going. If it had a full fuel load when it left Mareeba, flying time would have been about 7hours, more than enough to get back.

The plane crashed on take off – it made it high enough to be picked up on radar but then went down. The most likely cause, according to assembled pilots, was a dramatic load shift, a single engine failure or simply overloaded? It appears there was a small fire in the port engine when she went down.

The police are reported to have attended the site early Monday – BULLSH*T! They were there when it happened. Four Boroko Fishing Club members were at Lealea packing up ready to leave when it happened. They were held at gunpoint by armed police for just on an hour and prevented from “rendering assistance” and/or leaving the boat ramp.

Cessna pilot David Cutmore, a Melbourne flying school instructor

Still visible were the rest of the police doing their best to set fire to the plane wreckage and the cargo. In this they largely succeeded, particularly the cargo, of which we are told nothing remained intact. There was, and still is no sign of the pilot but blood stains on the plane’s steering wheel/instrument panel would indicate he must have got a nasty bump on the head on impact – maybe those helpful villagers are helping out again?!

Furthermore, I’ve been told that a dog unit policeman said that a chopper was sent on Monday morning to remove the wreckage but policemen were guarding the plane so they left.

Contrary to this report – I have also been told that the cargo (purportedly 500kgs of cocaine) was spirited away before the attempted destruction of the aircraft. (500 kg of Cocaine now in police custody-Editor)

That’s a lot of cocaine and worth millions on the streets of Australia. Cocaine is a high-priced recreation drug beloved of affluent drug users……..

from Susan Merrell, PNG,  30 July 2020

Further allegations from PNG Happenings Today:

How is (Deputy Police Commissioner Donald) Yamasombi’s brother in law, Hubert Namani of the PNG Accident Investigation Commission (AIC) mooted to be implicated in the saga of the plane crash at Papa Lealea along with Yamasombi’s nephew, a former PNGDF officer?

Asserted by my source, is that two of the Deputy Commissioner’s policemen went to Jacksons Airport NAC fuel depot with 15 jerry cans to collect fuel. You make the connections to the brother-in-law.

Also asserted is that 144 bags of cocaine (in 28 boxes) were taken from the site before the alarm was raised. S/he also asserts that 30 bags of cocaine were subsequently seized from the Sanctuary Hotel and that Donald Yamasombi’s ex military nephew had been seen there in the company of hotel owner, Jamie Pang. Make of that what you want too.

My source also claims that cocaine is available on the streets of Port Moresby at K500-600 ($A250 – $300) per teaspoon. At that price I posited that there couldn’t be many customers. He countered with their names. I was astonished and you’d be too, if I could tell you whom. However, there is evidence I need to gather before I am able to name them – but I know who you are alleged to be. Suffice it to say, the person who’s running this drug trade is purported to be a former policeman linked to William Kapris. (PNG high profile bank robber shot dead by police in 2013 after escaping prison)

The plot thickens.

I am now told that the police have 28 boxes containing 144 packs of cocaine at police headquarters and I’m also told that the reserve police officer working with customs is Jason Tan’s brother-in-law. Jason (Malaysian-born business leader) is suspected to have (previously) killed the Alice Springs (Northern Territory) owner of the plane that crashed – a Geoffrey Bull?

From ABC, 2019:

“A search of Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s register shows the Cessna’s registration holder is a PNG company called RAVENPOL NO. 69.

Company documents show its sole director and shareholder is Geoffrey Paul Bull (of Alice Springs), but several sources have said he was murdered in Port Moresby last year.

According to the aircraft register Ravenpol became the registration holder in January this year, after Mr Bull’s death….”

In an undercover operation ongoing prior to the Cessna flying to PNG, police have caught and charged a number of the Melbourne drug syndicate members who arrived in Atherton by air earlier in July.

https://spaces.hightail.com/space/e6w7U7dpgR

To be continued…….