Police to Search Dili for Illegal Weapons

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By: Jorgino dos Santos - Independente - Dili, 19 July 2011

DILI: Police will enter every suburb in Dili to search for illegal weapons, Police Unit Commander Superintendent Chief Jose Neto Mak said.

Police investigations have uncovered evidence that some people are hiding illegal weapons, Commander Mak said, and PNTL has a strategic plan to uncover them.

He said PNTL’s General Commander, Commissary Longuinhos Monteiro, had ordered his officers to conduct a serious operation against illegal weapons in Timor-Leste, especially in the capital.

“In (coming days) we (will set up) checkpoints in all suburbs in Dili,” Commander Mak said after a meeting between Mr Monteiro and his high-level officers at PNTL headquarters in Kaikoli, Dili.

Commander Mak said he could not reveal the day of the operation or those who were suspected of hiding the weapons.

The result of the operation would not be made public, but would be reported to the police general commander, he said.

“We will not announce (publicly) which group (is hiding the weapons) and where they are,” Mr Mak said.

Police intelligence had supplied information about the situation to PNTL, he added.

Meanwhile, head of PNTL’s Criminal Investigative Service Superintendent Calisto Gonzaga said police were preparing to further investigate the cases of two people who believed they had been shot by unknown attackers in Dili.

It was important to find out whether the victims had been injured by guns or not, Mr Gonzaga said.

No one has told police they actually saw a gunman fire a weapon, he said.

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