Two held in custody on drugs charges [1]
Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 11:00. Updated on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - 17:53.
From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 17, no. 1, May 2002.
The preliminary inquiry hearing of ‘Onitile Manu and Viliami Hokafonu on charges related to the importing and the exporting of 100kg of cocaine continued at the Hala Ano Police Magistrate’s Court, Nuku‘alofa, on March 14, when the hearing was postponed for the fifth time to April 28.
An application for bail for the two accused was again denied by Police Magistrate Folau Lokotui.
A container with 100kg of cocaine was seized by the police at Queen Salote Wharf on September 28 lat year and ‘Onitile and Viliami were later apprehended and four charges were laid against each of them, ranging from the using of false documents to clear a container from the wharf, to the importing and exporting of an illicit drug, cocaine.
It was the biggest seizure of hard drugs in Tonga.