Tonga’s Minister of Police, Piveni Piukala, has raised alarms over suspected organised crime involvement after a shipping container mysteriously disappeared from the wharf.
The investigation was launched following a complaint from a customer who alleged his container was lost while in port.
Minister Piukala revealed that the case was serious enough for him to personally engage the Head of the National Security and Intelligence Unit.
“I believe this is part of an organised crime,” he stated, emphasising that Tonga is battling a deeply entrenched criminal network exacerbated by systemic corruption.
Expressing his disbelief at the incident, the Minister highlighted the stringent protocols required for releasing a container from the wharf.
“It’s not just one person who signs it out—it involves multiple authorities, including the shipping agency, Customs Ministry, Port Authority, and Stevedores,” he said in Tongan.
“For someone to remove a container without leaving a trace through this entire process is beyond reason.”
Describing the case as potentially the “tip of the iceberg,” Piukala suggested that the disappearance may be linked to a broader criminal operation exploiting weaknesses in the system.
Minister Piukala previously stated that the biggest problem authorities face in securing the wharf is the lack of strategic procedures and strict rules controlling entry and exit. He noted that certain areas should be highly restricted but remain accessible to unauthorised individuals.
This case follows last year’s report in which five men were found guilty of theft, abetment to theft, and receiving stolen property after over 300 cartons of meat were stolen from a container belonging to Star Fish Company in Ma’ufanga.
In that case, one of the accused, a security guard, allegedly received payments over several months in 2022 to ignore suspicious activities.
The public has been urged to report any suspicious activity as investigations continue.
