Papua New Guinea police will be out in force to monitor compliance with liquor bans and othe restrictions over the Christmas period.
Papua New Guinea's acting Deputy Police Commissioner and Chief of Operations is appealing to citizens across the country to celebrate Christmas peacefully.
In particular, Jim Andrews has urged the public to abstain from excessive liquor intoxication and violence.
He says liquor bans in some provinces around the nation will be strictly enforced and tougher penalties imposed on anyone breaking these liquor laws.
Mr Andrews says a spate of road accidents related to drink-driving were reported within the past few days in the national capital, indicating that more people were defying the laws by drinking liquor in moving vehicles.
He says police traffic operations would now target people who consume liquor in a moving vehicle, because drivers intoxicated by alcohol are becoming a threat to innocent motorists and commuters.
In urban areas, random foot patrols are to be imposed inside settlements and residential areas to detect and arrest drunk and disorderly people, and close down illegal beer black markets.
