Viliami Kulu (53), from Longolongo is recovering at Vaiola Hospital after an emergency operation to remove a bullet from his left thigh, following an armed hold-up at the Asco Petrol Station on Fatafehi Road, Kolofo'ou, Nuku'alofa on January 6, when he said he was shot from behind.

Viliami told Matangi Tonga Online by phone from Vaiola on January 12 that he was still experiencing severe pain from the wound on his thigh, but apart from that he was doing fine.

He said just before midnight on Friday he and three of his employees were shutting down the station for the night, and he was the first to go out to his Toyota Hilux van that was parked in front of the station. He opened the driver's door and put his handbag inside and waited for the others.

"As I was standing by the van, I was suddenly approached by three disguised men who demanded that I move away from my van. One of the men held a handgun, and I knew they were after money and they thought I had money in my van," said Viliami.

He did not believe that what they had was a real gun. "They demanded that I move away from the van, and when I didn't the man who was holding the handgun fired a shot in the air, but I wasn't afraid and I refused to move," he said.

Viliami said that after a shot was fired into the air one of the men came forward and punched him. He fought back and as they tussled he turned his back on the gunman who then shot his left thigh from behind. He said that he did not realize that he had been shot until he saw the blood running down his leg.

He said the three men then took the van and fled without any money. His staff rang the emergency number for the ambulance and shortly after the police arrived.

The police found his van abandoned near Hofoa village early on Saturday morning, January 7.

Viliami believed that the three men, aged in their 20's or 30's, must have watching them the whole night and were after the bag that he put in the car. "The only thing I had in my bag was my diary," he said.

Viliami said he had worked for the company for over 20 years, and he was very thankful that he was still alive.

Police hunt

Meanwhile the Police are carrying out a special police operation to hunt down the three men and a Tactical Response Group is working around the clock, using forensic evidence to track them down.

The Acting Police Commissioner Taniela Faletau told Matangi Tonga Online on January 12 that the police investigation is following up various leads. "We are looking at making some arrests shortly," he said.

Robberies using firearms have increased in Tonga since 2009 when that there was one case; there were four in 2010, and five in 2011.