Offender who hid illicit drugs in rubbish heap convicted [1]
Tuesday, August 3, 2021 - 17:50
Siueli Angilau (42) was today found guilty of possessing illicit drugs, including 0.55 grams of methamphetamine seized by Tonga Police, after receiving information that illicit drugs were being sold from a little house at Fanga.
After a trial at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court, Hon. Mr Justice Niu convicted him on four counts of possessing 0.55 grams of methamphetamine, 222.59 grams of cannabis, 44.55 grams of cannabis and 0.69 grams of cannabis.
The accused admitted that he was guilty of possessing the 0.55 grams of methamphetamine and 0.69 grams of cannabis, that were found inside this one room house.
A Police witnesses for the Crown, said at around 11:00am on May 1, 2020 he received a telephone call from an informer that illicit drugs were being being sold at the house, situated at the rear of the allotment belonging to Seiloni Ngaue, on Taufa'ahau Road at Fanga. They learned that the person selling the drugs goes to the bush area behind the house where the rubbish heap was and comes back with the drugs from there.
The Police witness said he knew this allotment because the had previously made several drug operations there. The Police Tactical Response Group was dispatched to this allotment, and went into the house first, where the accused, his wife and their baby child were.
The judge said, the accused was coughing and gagging and then he spat out of his mouth a pack of methamphetamine. The two other methamphetamine packs were found on the floor of the house. While, a pack of cannabis was found by the police dog on the bed inside the little house, he said.
Police with a dog searched the rubbish heap behind the house and found a plastic bag hidden at the foot of a bush, which contained some 60 packs of cannabis and $200 in cash.
Shortly after that another bag of cannabis but which had not been packed into packs, was found hidden inside another bush, about 4-5 meters away from the first bag.
There was a clear track from the house to the rubbish heap and on to where the two bags of cannabis were found and it was clear that the track was being used quite often, said the Police witness.
The judge said the search without a warrant carried out at this home was lawful.
In addition, the finding of the two bags of cannabis in the bush area behind the house was consistent with the information provided by the informer. In fact, it proved that the informer was correct in the information he provided to Police, he said.
The judge believed the accused had bought the methamphetamines, or he had received it for sale, as he did with the cannabis.
The accused was found guilty and will be sentenced on a later date.