Nuku’alofa, Tonga — The Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction and life sentence of Tohitongi Fetuʻu, dismissing his appeal in a major methamphetamine importation case involving a network of offenders linked through a local figure associated with the Comanchero gang.
Fetuʻu was convicted in October 2025 of unlawfully importing 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine and sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2026.
In its judgment, the Court of Appeal judges Randerson, White and Dalton JJ rejected all grounds of appeal, finding that the evidence against him was compelling and properly accepted at trial.
The case arose from a complex police investigation into a transnational drug operation involving shipments from the United States to Tonga.
The drugs were concealed inside a crate packed with goods and hidden in sacks of rice before arriving in Nuku’alofa in August 2024.
Court evidence showed the shipment was coordinated offshore, with Fetuʻu playing a central role in organising the consignment and directing co-offenders in Tonga.
Electronic communications recovered from mobile phones revealed detailed instructions about the shipment’s packaging, clearance, and collection.
A key figure named in the judgment is ‘Eneasi Tangi Taumoefolau, also known as “Narge,” who received part of the drugs after they were extracted from the shipment.
Taumoefolau’s Comanchero Links
While the Court of Appeal decision itself does not explicitly reference gang affiliations, Taumoefolau has been identified in related proceedings and reporting as a member of the Comanchero motorcycle gang and had previously attempted to establish a chapter of the group in Tonga, though those efforts were unsuccessful.
The court described the evidence against Fetuʻu as strongly corroborated by multiple sources, including surveillance, witness testimony from police informant Joseph Taufa, and intercepted communications.
Messages showed Fetuʻu actively directing how the crate should be handled and how its contents should be retrieved and distributed.
Fetuʻu denied involvement and claimed he had only arranged for household goods to be shipped to Tonga. However, the court rejected his explanation, finding it inconsistent and unsupported by evidence. Judges described his account as “improbable and uncorroborated,” and noted contradictions in his testimony.
The defence also challenged the credibility of the informant and questioned whether the drugs originated from the shipment. The Court of Appeal dismissed these arguments, ruling that there was ample independent evidence demonstrating that the methamphetamine seized by police had been imported through the crate Fetuʻu helped organise.
In dismissing the appeal, the court confirmed that the trial judge was entitled to rely on the evidence presented and to reject the defence case. The conviction and mandatory life sentence therefore remain in force.
The case underscores the growing concern among authorities about the reach of organised drug networks into Tonga, including the involvement of individuals linked to international gangs, even where such connections are not formally central to court findings.
