‘Okusitino Maka Langi (46) was found guilty of possession of illicit drugs, including 43.85 grams of methamphetamine seized at his residence in Hala'ovave.

Lord Chief Justice Whitten QC convicted him on possession of the meth and 2.61 grams of cannabis, after a trial on September 9 at the Nuku'alofa Surpeme Court.

The offending occured on the night of 13 July 2020 when the Drugs Enforcement Taskforce received information that the accused was selling drugs from his residence.

A search was carried out by officers from the Tactical Response Group and Dog Detector Unit.

One of the rooms searched was a bedroom, which the accused said it was his children's room. Officers found over 20 dealer bags containing crystalised substance suspected to be methamphetamine and two dealer bags containing suspected cannabis, found in a false wall at the back of a shelf.

A weighing scale and drug paraphernalia were also found.

In addition, cash of around $1,900 pa'anga was found on the accused and during the search.

The accused who was tried by judge alone will be sentenced on October 15.