Customs officer pleads not guilty to importing drugs worth NZD$10-17 million [1]
Thursday, May 6, 2010 - 22:07. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
A 42-year-old Customs Officer from Halaleva, Tevita Pati Kata, has pleaded not guilty to the importation and possession of the illicit drug methamphetamine, worth an estimated NZD$10-17 million, following a large drug bust last September by Tonga Police.
The defendant appeared before Chief Justice Anthony Ford for the start of his jury trial at the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court this week represented by counsel Sifa Tu'utafaiva.
The court was told that on September 21, 2009 police had raided the defendant's residence at Halaleva in Nuku'alofa where they found 30 litres of the liquid substance of the illicit drug in bottles, container together with muddy torn black handbag.
Results of scientific tests by experts confirmed the liquid substance to be illicit drugs that produced 17.6 kilos of methamphetamine valued between NZD$10-17 million.
Drugs bust
On May 5, Day Three of the jury trial Chief Inspector 'Isimoto Vaihu who was involved in the drug bust at Halaleva confirmed police seizing the items containing the illicit substance which was taken into police for analysis on September 21, 2009.
The witness also read Kata's first police interview taken following his arrest on the same day confirming that he was a customs officer at the Export Division. His job extended to inspecting vessels arriving at the Nuku'alofa Port, such as the Captain Tasman.
During the interview he denied knowing about the drugs or how it was brought to Tonga, only admitting it was it was brought to his home by a friend named Sione Filipe and a Chinese man whom he claimed not knowing his name.
He told police Sione was his friend who was living in Australia since 2006 but who regularly visited Tonga.
Wine bottles
Kata claimed on September 16, 2009 they came over with the items and asked to keep it at his home until they come back to claim it and they told him it was wine.
He added he first saw the liquid substance on the same day it was delivered to his home because he opened it. He thought it was wine hence denied receiving any payments from the two men.
Police asked him whether he wasn't suspicious that it was drugs, he said he just thought it was wine and it didn't hit him that it was drugs until police raided his home searching for drugs.
The Chief Inspector added on September 24, 2009 that the defendant admitted new things including knowing about the drugs. This admission was not recorded but was only admitted by the defendant because he felt burdened.
He said Sione initially poured the liquid substance into new bottles from the bottles they were originally imported before hiding them in an old container at 'Umusi. He then revealed the black handbag seized by police was muddy because he had buried it at his home.
DHL
The illicit substance was said to have been imported to Tonga by air transport and received by the DHL courier service in Nuku'alofa.
On May 6 a witness Silei Vea the Operation Manager of DHL in Tonga confirmed that her office received items firstly on May 12 and on May 19, 2009.
She confirmed they were declared on the airway bill as wine samples and they were in the form of wine bottles and were received by the accused that she identified in court.
In Tonga the offences of the importation and possession of illicit drug carries a heavy imprisonment sentence of 30 years for importation and 25 years in prison for possession.