Tonga police bust large shipment of drugs [1]
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 23:46. Updated on Friday, August 7, 2015 - 12:10.
The Tonga Police yesterday seized a large shipment of illicit drugs at a residential home in Halaleva, Nuku'alofa, arresting one male suspect who will be charged with illicit drug offences.
Police Commander Chris Kelley said this morning that 25 police officers, including dogs, executed searches in two residential homes in Halaleva and Fasi at 4:30pm on September 21, for the purpose of locating illicit drugs, primarily methamphetamine.
He said at the Halaleva address police seized 26 hand-held containers containing contents that require scientific analysis to determine what they are.
"But I am sufficiently satisfied with our investigation to date to believe we have disrupted a large shipment of illicit substances."
He said because of the substantial amount of substances seized he thought it is very likely that Tonga was not the only destination for the substances.
"The use of Tonga as a shipment location in the region would not be tolerated by the Tonga Police. And the people of Tonga need to know that I as Police Commander and the Tonga Police will do our best to identify, flush out and prosecute these Merchants of Human Misery."
The Commander at this stage could not speculate on the street value of the product seized until analysis is completed but he said photographic evidence and results of the scientific tests would be released to the public when it becomes available.
Meanwhile, he has sought specialist support from the New Zealand Police and lab specialists were on hand at the time of the search and provided invaluable help during the process.
"Assistant Police Commander 'Unga Fa'aoa led this operation under my direction and I congratulate them on the results," he said,