On May 23, 2025, the Lae Court in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, handed down a verdict sentencing the head of a foreign mining company to three years in prison for involvement in transnational illegal activities. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the PNG Constitution, the individual will be deported upon completion of the sentence.
The foreign national reportedly entered Papua New Guinea in February 2024 and has prior criminal records in both China and a certain African country.
Since June 2024, the operations of his company have been under continuous investigation by relevant authorities and were ultimately found to be involved in illegal mining and violations of business regulations.
The ruling is regarded as a significant step by PNG’s judiciary in cracking down on transnational crime and rectifying disorder in the mining sector. It also demonstrates the government’s zero-tolerance stance on unlawful commercial practices.
Analysts point out that as Papua New Guinea accelerates the development of its mineral resources, strengthening regulation and cleansing the market environment have become vital tasks to safeguard national sovereignty and resource interests.
