A number of police drug raids in Tongatapu have resulted in arrests which link to two sons of two of the king’s nobles.
One son has been reportedly arrested while the other son’s home was allegedly at the centre of a raid in which police officers from the drugs enforcement unit arrested some people in relation to illicit drugs.
Police have this evening confirmed to Kaniva News the drug raids and the arrests of a number of people in various places in Tongatapu.
When provided with the identities of the noblemen’s sons Police did not deny it and said they will update their investigation tomorrow.
Kaniva News cannot identify the noblemen’s sons at this stage due to legal reasons.
The news came after recent reports said that the methamphetamine epidemic has reached all levels of society in Tonga.
“There are reports of drug use and dealing among church ministers, civil servants, politicians, traditional leaders and even police”.
This was not the first time members of the nobility were involved in drug dealing allegations.
In 2013 the Crown withdrew two of the illicit drug charges against former Speaker and Cabinet Minister Lord Tu’ilakepa due to insufficient evidence – two years after the noble was first charged in December 2010.
Tu’ilakepa’s charges came after Australian police said the noble was allegedly bribed by an international crime syndicate headed by Colombians as part of a plot to import tonnes of cocaine into Australia.
It was reported that an Australian Federal Police-led inquiry, Operation Stair, uncovered a global trafficking operation that allegedly used yachts to sail cocaine from South America to Tonga.
In 2019 Princess Pilolevu Tuita’s son-in-law Sione Filipe was arrested and charged in relation to the seizure of 242 grams of cannabis seeds brought into Tonga, at Fua’amotu International Airport.
He was also charged with drug offences for the second time after three months from his airport drug arrest. He was also accused of bribing a police officer.
Princess Pilolevu’s another son-in-law ‘Epeli Taione was convicted and received an imprisonment suspended sentence after he was charged with possession of illicit drugs.
