An Australian helicopter pilot and two other workers have been kidnapped in Papua New Guinea's highlands, the country's chief of police said on Monday, February 26.

Police Commissioner David Manning said details of the situation were still emerging, but it was believed the suspected assailants were "not from the area." "We are working closely with the community leaders," he said. "We are focused on resolving this as soon as possible," Commissioner Manning said, confirming the nationality of the pilot and adding that police were responding to the incident. The pilot and two others – believed to be telecom workers – were taken near Mount Sisa, in central Hela Province.

Last week more than 50 bodies were found by the side of a road – the result of clashes between rival clans. Papua New Guinea's restive highlands have in recent years been hit by a spate of kidnappings and tribal violence that has killed hundreds.

Prime Minister James Marape told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the Australian "High Commissioner has been informed on this matter." He said police and the defence force were moving into the area.

In 2023, a New Zealand archaeologist and two others were taken hostage at gunpoint at a location near this most recent incident. They were released – traumatised but seemingly physically unharmed – after a tense week of negotiations between police and kidnappers who initially demanded a ransom of $1 million – an enormous sum in one of the Pacific's poorest nations.

The government has come under fierce pressure to boost security resources in the area and tackle growing lawlessness. "I want to inform all that crime does not pay, it ultimately leads to arrest or deaths of criminals so appreciate locals who are assisting police as we speak," Marape said.