Police in the coastal town swung into full alert when an anonymous caller warned a police officer to drop his investigations into the previous bank robbery and release the suspects in custody.
ANZ and Westpac closed their doors in the morning but reopened for a short period after lunch while BSP closed for the whole day following fears of another robbery and threats made against staff and their families.
Police confirmed the closure of the three banks and the threats issued to the banks and the police, prompting the commander of the Mamose police, acting Assistant Commissioner Giossi Labi, to order a full scale investigation into the threats.
Labi said one of the callers had threatened a policeman telling him to abort the investigations into the BSP Madang heist or his wife and family would be targeted.
Labi said the caller told the policeman that he knew where his wife worked and their residential area.
Labi said he was taking the threat seriously and police in Lae and Madang were placed on full alert.
He said telecommunication companies, Telikom and Digicel, were also asked to trace all calls made that day to find the culprits.
He said police would use the two communication companies to monitor all calls regarding the threats to his policeman.
“Policemen are doing their duties as required of them and being targeted like that will not be tolerated,” he said. “Whoever is doing this will be brought to face the full force of the law.”
He also called on the public in the region to report to police anyone they see or hear trying to stop police investigations.
