The police manhunt for Papua New Guinea's most wanted criminal Tommy Baker continues in Milne Bay province.
Notorious Papua New Guinea criminal Tommy Baker Photo: PNG Police
The notorious prison escapee is thought to have been wounded earlier this month in another deadly shootout with police near Alotau.
For months, police have been unable to capture Baker, who is linked to a string of armed robberies, piracy and murder in Milne Bay.
Police Commissioner Gari Baki has urged Baker to surrender, saying it's only a matter of time before he and his gang are caught.
He said since the deployment of additional police personnel to Alotau late last month, the town has been relatively quiet.
"So our guys are keeping vigilant just to maintain and see how things are unfolding, following the recent clash between police and Tommy Baker's gang which resulted in two of them being shot dead. So it's still relatively quiet at this time, but tense."
Police have reiterated their call on the community in Alotau to help them recapture Baker.
Mr Baki agreed that elements of the community had probably protected Baker, and said police were trying to maintain contact with his relatives or others who may have been in contact with him.
"I think he's using his criminal activities to drive fear into the mindset of people and making people believe that he is above the law," he said.
The Commissioner described Baker's activities as being a "guerilla" mode of operations, where he uses the rugged terrain and topography to his advantage
But Mr Baki said that if Baker and his gang didn't surrender, they ran the risk of being shot dead by police.