October 2011 in the town of Kanantu, Papua New Guinea.

Kanantu's a scratch. It's a market stop of 6,000 people on the 430 mile Highland Highway that connects the major towns of PNG's beautiful but troubled

northern rainforests.

It's also home to a giant goldmine, K92, run by Canadians and backed by a New York equity firm.

Like its notorious highway, Kainantu's been overrun by gangs of violent young men from the Camano tribe, one of

dozens in the region whose traditional laws have creaked under an influx of foreign

cash, corruption and guns.

Locals known them by a simpler name, the Rascals.

Once a fight with fists or axes or bows might be compensated with a pig or a patch of land.

Nowadays the booty and bloodshed is far too big for that.

For decades there's been a steady exchange of rascals between the highlands and the

capital city Port Moresby, blurring the lines between a criminal

underworld and tribal warfare. State corruption is endemic. 40% of folks are on the breadline and

K92, just like so other many projects, that siphon off PNG's natural wealth gives very little back to the people.

Police are paid off or they just can't be bothered.

The Army, or they're just supplying the weapons.

Officials in Port Mores we call Kainan's... or they're just supplying the weapons.

Officials in Port Mors we call Kainantu a quote cowboy town.

Running out of options the locals decide to administer jungle justice.

Armed with nothing but machetes and spears, 500 men of the ruling

a Garabi tribe launch wave upon wave of attacks on anybody over the age of 15 they suspect of the banditry.

The Camano Rascal was armed with shotguns and even a machine gun, but they quickly run out of

...