By Linny Folau
‘Alifeleti ‘Anitoni is serving eight months’ imprisonment for possession of 117.55 grams of cannabis and unlawful firearms seized at his home in Ha’akame in 2025.
He pleaded guilty to charges including possession of arms without a licence—one .12-gauge shotgun, one .22 rifle, three .12-gauge ammunition—and possession of cannabis. He was sentenced by Justice Tupou on 30 January at the Supreme Court in Nuku‘alofa. A charge of possession of utensils was withdrawn by the Crown.
The offending occurred on 14 May 2025 at about 7.30pm, after Police received information that the defendant was supplying cannabis from his home. Police searched the property without a warrant under the Illicit Drugs Control Act.
Inside the house, Police found a black bag containing 300 empty packs, which the defendant said he had found on the roadside and that children used for packing earrings. Police also seized a .22 rifle, various .22 and .12-gauge ammunition, and another .12 rifle found in a third house on the property. The defendant admitted ownership of the firearms and ammunition, and said some of the .12-gauge ammunition had been given to him by others.
Police also found a cannabis plant in a bucket, which the defendant admitted was his and for personal use. Cash of $50 was found on him.
The cannabis plant was tested on 15 May 2025 and weighed 117.55 grams. The firearms and ammunition were examined and found to be real and in usable condition, except for two .12-gauge cartridges. It was confirmed the defendant held a licence for the .22 rifle but not for the other firearms or ammunition.
The Crown submitted aggravating factors included the amount of cannabis exceeding personal use, the unlicensed possession of multiple firearms and ammunition, and the defendant initially misleading Police about the rifle licence. Mitigating factors were his early guilty plea and that he was a first-time offender.
Justice Tupou sentenced the defendant to 17 months’ imprisonment, with nine months suspended for 12 months on conditions, leaving him to serve eight months in prison. The judge ordered the cannabis destroyed and the firearms, ammunition and drug-related paraphernalia forfeited to the Crown.
