High Risk Environment

The latest development of the criminal activities in Port Vila Vanuatu have escalated to the point where loaded guns are now permitted by the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice.
The recent murders and thefts that have occured around the capital have left the ministers responsible for the two stated ministries no choice but to remove the Vanuatu Correctional Services from the high risk prison and put police officers on guard with loaded guns.
The Internal Affairs minister, George Wells, made the order for the removal of the correctional officers yet their work will carry on as normal at the low risk prison compound.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was signed between the authorities comes at a right time with the date of the ACP/EU meeting drawing near.
Minister Wells is keen on tightening security to its utmost level for the purposes of a productive meet in a safe environment.
In similar developments Wells has stated in national news that the ongoing criminal activities are in no doubt organised.

It’s sad to say but what we are dealing with today is organized crime. The system has been infiltrated so it has to be dismantled before it gets out of hand,” said the Internal Affairs Minister.We have received reports that these escapees are going around with a lot of cash even when no one reports cash being stolen and they also have access to guns which have to be supplied from some where. Some business houses are also suspected of being heavily involved in this.

The minister stated that security in the country is now way out of control and he strongly believed that these malicious activities have the involovement of people in private and public sectors, authoritative organisations and even church organisations.
In the past week there had been a killing of a couple from Holland and the beating of a long time education pioneer in the country who is origanally from Australia.
Numerous thefts have also occured and the lives of people in the community is threatened.
It has also been common practise in the past where ordinary people in the community use unfortunate opportunities such as these prison break outs to commit criminal acts too.
In recent reports it showed that a young boy was taken and arrested and taken in for questioning for a burglary at a home.
Witnesses have also stated that 11 people were arrested in relation to harboring of prisoners and it was reported that they recieved heavy beatings from the police.
Vanuatu is only one of the few countries of the Pacific region that ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture and implemented the correctional system which has now been dubbed as "ineffective" by the Internal Affairs minister.
The current environment is risky for locals to walk around and enjoy what is usually a peaceful and calm Port Vila environment.