Results for Illicit Drugs

Raj Kumar was found guilty of attempting to knowingly destroy suspected illicit drugs, capable of being used as evidence in the commission of an offence, in a drug bust on the road in 2021.

Four men were arrested on charges relating to the possession of and supplying of illicit drugs after being caught in Police raids at Malapo and Hala’ovave, Tongatapu, on Thursday and Friday last week.

Nelson Siulangapo the 33-year-old man who was arrested and charged in relation to the 124.77grams of methamphetamine seized on Tongatapu in January, is expected to appear at the Magistrate’s Court, on 20 February.

A 43-year-old husband and his 29-year-old wife from Veitongo were arrested with illicit drugs, at ‘Anana. Another 24-year-old man was arrested at Veitongo.

A 53-year-old man was arrested in his vehicle for selling illicit drugs, in which quantities of methamphetamine and cannabis were seized in a police raid at Popua on 24 November.

Siaosi Brown (22) was sentenced to 18-months imprisonment for possession of 222.69 grams of cannabis seized at a home in Fanga.

A prolific offender, ‘Okusitino Langi (49), who is serving a lengthy prison term for drug offences, received additional time for similar offending in prison, totalling nine-years imprisonment, after being sentenced on 14 October. The Lord Chief Justice said the circumstances of this offending were troubling. “For the defendant to have been able to possess and sell drugs in prison suggests real operational deficiencies in security within the prison.”

Illegal drugs being smuggled into Tonga will be easier to detect with new spectrometer equipment. USD$3 million funding has been committed by Japan for the equipment, to assist the Tonga government's efforts to detect and prevent illicit drugs from entering its borders.

Prisoner Piliote Uasike (26) was sentenced to three-years for possessing of 4.66 grams of methamphetamine, found on him. A repeat drug offender, he is already in prison serving time on other drugs offences.