Three arrests follow theft of heart surgery team equipment [1]
Friday, September 1, 2017 - 17:28
Three suspects have been arrested and charged for allegedly entering a room at the Tanoa Hotel early on August 30 and stealing a laptop and four flash drives, belonging to a team of Australian heart surgeons.
Police arrested a 42-year-old man from Tofoa and his 25-year-old girlfriend from Lomaiviti this morning, 1 September for the alleged incident.
A third suspect, a 48-year-old man from Kolomotu’a was also arrested this morning from a house at a bush allotment in Lomaiviti, where Police found the stolen laptop, flash drives and four cannabis plants.
Tonga Police report that the stolen laptop and flash drives contained critical information and data belonging to a team of medical experts from Australia who are in Tonga to perform heart surgery over the next two weeks.
Acting Chief Superintendent Tevita Vailea, said “it is a disgrace that criminals have stolen from guests to our country, who are here to help our medical people to care for our people.”
“We are pleased to have been able to locate and give back to them the property stolen within two days of the crime being committed. This is excellent work by the Police Criminal Investigation Unit in locating and arresting these people responsible for this burglary so quickly,” he said.
The laptop and flash drives, seized by Police, were identified by the medical experts as their stolen property.
The three suspects are charged with alleged housebreaking and theft and are remanded in Police custody. They will appear at the Nuku’alofa Magistrate Court later today.