The police in Papua New Guinea say a ban on selling and chewing betel nuts in the capital city has resulted in a drastic fall in petty crime.
The ban of betel nuts in Port Moresby became effective at the beginning of the month following a two-week trial.
Superintendent Dominic Kakas says the city is now not only safer but also cleaner due to the ban.
"There's no rubbish, there is no people loitering, you would have a lot of young people congregating at the bus stops and that's when we had the trouble you know...but when the betel nut sale and chewing consumption in public places- when that was banned, it drastically reduced the crime statistics in the city."
Superintendent Dominic Kakas of the Papua New Guinea police.
