A masked offender armed with a pistol robbed the Phoenix Supermarket on Fatafehi Road in Nuku'alofa at 11pm on Tuesday, August 16 and fled with over $300 cash.

The Acting Deputy Police Commander Soakai Motu'apuaka said today that a vehicle drove up to the supermarket with two persons in it, and one of them who was wearing a mask over his head and carrying a pistol had threatened the security and the owner of the supermarket to hand over the money they had.

He said they believed the driver was a male person but the other person who got out with the pistol is unknown.

Police have captured the vehicle at By Pass Road on the following day of the crime but the two suspects had not been captured and remained at large in Tongatapu while a police investigation continues.

The Phoenix supermarket is operated by Chinese nationals.

60 offences

Meanwhile, 60 offences were reported from August 15 - 21, the same amount of offences reported the previous week in Tonga.

Theft was the most reported crime with 22 offences, followed by 17 assaults with nine housebreaking and two each for wilful damage to fence.

Under the Traffic Offences Act, a total of 37 offences were registered with drunkenness and public disorder behaviour as the most committed offence.

At the same time the Acting Deputy Commander Soakai confirmed that the accused in the cannabis bust was released on bail this week.

The 38-year-old man has been named as Michell Tukia living at Fasi who appeared at the Magistrate's Court last week.

The Tonga and New Zealand Police believed last week that the cannibis bust is connected to that of the methamphetamine scam that arrested and charged three Tongan men namely Willie Wolfgram, Peter Tanginoa and Angus Naupoto in Auckland.