Six charged after drugs bust [1]
Friday, July 8, 2011 - 22:09. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
A Tongan police officer and five other persons, who were arrested and charged in a drug bust that seized 6.5 kilos of controlled chemicals used for production of methamphetamine, were granted bail upon conditions today, July 8.
The policeman, four Chinese and one Taiwanese appeared for a bail hearing in closed chambers before Chief Police Magistrate Folau Lokotui. The accused were required to surrender their passports to the court, provide two sureties of $800 pa'anga each and to report to the central police station in Nuku'alofa every Wednesday.
Crown Prosecutor Semisi Lutui said the Preliminary Inquiry on the drug offences would start on August 15 at the lower court.
The six accused are facing multiple charges of possession and importation of the controlled chemicals into Tonga.
Drug bust
On July 1 Tonga police seized 6.5 kilos of controlled chemicals used for the production of methamphetamine and arrested the six people in Tongatapu.
Police Commissioner Chris Kelley said on July 5, the substances were taken to Auckland for analysis and preliminary tests indicated the substance was pseudo-ephedrine, a chemical used in the production of methamphetamine.
This operation was a Tonga Police working in partnership with New Zealand Police and Customs both in New Zealand and in Tonga who made the arrests after careful investigation last month.