Tonga Customs officer arrested following substantial illicit drug allegations

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16/08/2024

Tonga Police have reportedly apprehended a Customs officer on suspicion of involvement with illicit drugs.

Ministry of Revenue & Customs. Photo/Kalino Lātū

Acting Commissioner of Police Tevita Vailea reportedly confirmed the arrest to local media but made no further comment as the investigation was ongoing.

The news comes in the wake of reports on social media this week that a customs officer had been arrested after a container containing illicit drugs was allegedly released from authority.

No further details were available.

Last week, a prison officer at Hu’atolitolu prison was arrested while more officers were under investigation following seizure of illicit drugs and drug paraphernalia at the prison compound.

Last week’s arrest of the Customs officer follows the 2019 arrest of a Senior Customs Officer after a major drug bust at Kuini Salote Wharf.

In that incident, former Senior Customs Officer Paula Naitoko was later found guilty of importing a substantial amount of methamphetamine and firearms concealed in a box from the United States.

He was imprisoned for six years before he passed away in jail last year.

A recent public debate in Parliament rejected a suggestion that the death penalty be used to deter drug offenders.

Tonga has been combatting a growing drug problem for the past several years, leading to the Speaker of Parliament, Lord Fakafanua, calling for a debate on the topic, ‘Capital punishment is the best deterrent for illicit drugs offences.’

Kyiv says military office set up in Russia’s Kursk

By

Kaniva Staff

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16/08/2024

Ukraine is conducting its largest incursion into Russian territory since the war began.

At the same time, the Ukrainian military is outnumbered and under-equipped.

Al Jazeera’s The Take speaks to experts on whether Ukraine’s latest operation could signal a change in the direction of the war.

US to provide Ukraine with additional security packages

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby says the US will provide Ukraine with additional security packages in the coming days, he told MSNBC in an interview.

Kirby’s comments, which he did not elaborate on, come after the office of Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said earlier today that he spoke with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin about the situation on the ground and Ukraine’s defence needs.

At least two killed in Russian attacks in Kharkiv, Ukrainian authorities say

At least two people have been killed and seven others injured after Russian-guided bomb attacks in Kharkiv, local authorities said.

Oleh Syniehubov, the regional governor, said on Telegram that the attack hit a civilian enterprise in the Kupiansk district.

One more employee was injured, he added.

Regional police also said on Telegram that six people, including a 12-year-old child, were wounded in the Zolochiv village when Russian forces dropped two bombs.

Ukraine’s continuing incursion has played to its strengths: Movement, tactical innovation and the ability to exploit small successes to bigger achievements.

Ukraine has also managed to leverage the limited resources it has and a picture is now emerging of new arms used in novel ways that have caught Russian forces off-guard and kept them off balance.

Meanwhile, the world awaits Russia’s response.

Tongatapu woman given suspended sentence for meth possession

By

Kaniva Staff

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16/08/2024

A Tongatapu woman arrested and charged with possessing methamphetamine has escaped a prison sentence.

Meth users could be forced into crisis centres under the new plan.(ABC News Breakfast)

Miss Siena Li was sentenced in the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court by Judge Nicholas Cooper for smashing a pipe used to smoke drugs and possession of 0.08g methamphetamine, a Class A drug.

The court was told that Miss Li was arrested in a car, outside the Kiwi tyre shop, Ha’ateiho, on March 2, 2024 at approximately 3am that morning.

She was seen disposing of the pipe when the police arrived at the location after receiving a tip-off.

She was searched, and the bag of methamphetamine was recovered.

She was arrested, charged and committed to the Supreme Court.

On 6 August 2024, she appeared for arraignment and entered her guilty pleas.

Miss Li did not wish for a pre-sentence report but rather to be sentenced straight away.

Miss Li has a previous conviction, but the Crown made clear that it was not for illicit drugs, though it was not known what the precise nature of the conviction was.

She was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, fully suspended for two years on the following conditions:

To report to probation no later than 2pm, August 7, 2024;
Miss Li must be placed on probation;
To complete a drug rehabilitation course; Perform 40 hours Community Service Order; and
Miss Li must not commit any offence punishable by imprisonment.

Drugs and paraphernalia to be forfeited and destroyed.

Tonga news in brief: New Ha’apai airport runway lights; Tatofi Nuku’alofa concerts; Cable ship repair underway; Japan firefight trucks donation

By

Kalino Latu

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15/08/2024

The new runway lights at Sālote Pilolevu Airport in Ha’apai were officially activated and inaugurated by Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku and Australian High Commissioner to Tonga HE Brek Batley.

New runway lights switched on for Ha’apai Airpor. Photo/PMO Office Tonga

The Australian Government funded this $1.8 million project, which was carried out by Tonga Airports Limited in partnership with the Australian airport lighting company, Valupa.

With these newly installed lights, the Ha’apai islands will be more accessible at any time, facilitating critical medical evacuations and boosting tourism opportunities.

This development follows an incident in 2015 where a Real Tonga Airline flight at Ha’apai airport nearly ended in tragedy, reportedly due to differences in the interpretation of the aircraft airspeed indicator by the pilot and co-pilot.

According to the report at the time, the pilot’s airspeed indicator suggested it was time for takeoff, but the co-pilot’s instrument indicated otherwise, causing the plane to swerve and nearly hit the airport fence.

Josh Tatofi concerts in Nuku’alofa

Renowned Tongan-Hawai’i based and Grammy-nominated musician Josh Tatofi is set to perform a free concert in Tonga next Tuesday evening, August 20, at the ‘Atele Indoor Stadium.

The event is a segment of Tatofi’s South Pacific tour, encompassing visits to American Samoa, Samoa, Australia, and New Zealand.

The concert is made possible thanks to the generous support of corporate sponsors such as Friends Cafe, Five Star, Tonga Tourism Authority, Tonga Communications Corporation, Tali’eva, Office Equipment, and Tonga Water.

The Nuku’alofa concert admission is complimentary, offering local enthusiasts an exclusive opportunity to enjoy Tatofi’s live music performance.

US$1.9 million grant for firefighting trucks from Japan

Tonga Fire & Emergency Services will receive firefighting trucks donated by the government of Japan.

It includes two pumper trucks, two water tanker trucks, and three pickup trucks, totaling a US$1.9 million grant.

The Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku signed the NPGA grant at his office in the St. George Government building in Nuku’alofa this morning

This grant was announced by Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a summit meeting with PM Hu’akavameiliku on the sidelines of the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) held in Tokyo last month.

Internet cable repair service underway

The Cable Ship Lodbrog, working to fix Tonga’s damaged fibre optic cable, has identified part of the cable which was damaged apparently by a recent earthquake.

Reports said the ship has found the northern end of the damaged cable and is currently attempting to locate the southern end attached to Tongatapu.

The repairs to the domestic telecommunications submarine cable are expected to be completed by this Friday, August 16.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Communication previously said it appeared the cable had been broken by a recent earthquake near the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano.

It was detected 73-96 km from Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu and northwest of Haapai islands.

The Ministry has a spare section of cable about 60km long which it hopes will cover the damage.

“If not, we have to wait to give time to manufacture new cables”, the Ministry said.

What you need to know about Auckland City Mission food parcel meth ‘lolly’ contamination

By

Kaniva Staff

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15/08/2024

By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

People are urged not to eat meth-laced pills disguised as white lollies that ended up in food parcels because they could be lethal.

Meth-laced lollies given to Auckland City Mission. Photo: Supplied / Auckland City mission

Pills of methamphetamine disguised as Rinda-brand pineapple lollies were discovered in parcels handed out by Auckland’s City Mission on Tuesday.

Each contained three grams of meth, which is up to 300 regular doses.

If you’re affected, here’s what you need to know.

Symptoms

Drug Foundation’s Ben Birks Ang said they were concerned there could be more pills disguised as lollies out there.

People who have consumed them reported a bitter, chemical taste.

Anyone who may have tried one of these lollies and noticed an unpleasant taste, should spit it out and seek immediate medical help – call 111.

Ang said people who may have consumed the drug should look out for chest pain, racing heart, seizures, loss of consciousness.

It was not possible to get high from touching meth but people who tasted it, even spitting it out quickly, were likely to have felt an impact, he said.

People can also call the National Poisons centre on 0800 764 766.

What are the symptoms?

Food Parcels

Anyone who has received a food parcel from the Auckland City Mission recently is being asked to check to make sure it does not contain the meth-laced lollies.

Any such lollies should be kept securely out of reach of children.

Anyone who received a food parcel with Rinda brand pineapple lollies is asked to contact police on the 105 phone service quoting the file number 240813/5919, or through Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Drugs

The Alcohol Drug Helpline offers confidential, free support for anyone concerned about drug use. Call 0800 787 797, or text 8681, to speak with a trained counsellor.

High Alert offers anonymous reporting of unusual or unexpected effects of drugs through a page on its website.

The Level offers information about drugs.

Tonga invites Elon Musk to Pacific leaders’ summit

By

Kaniva Staff

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15/08/2024

By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Bulletin Editor, and is republished with permission

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Testa chief executive, has been invited to attend the Pacific region’s premier political leaders gathering later this month.

Photo: Beata Zawrzel / NurPhoto via AFP

RNZ Pacific understands that Musk, who also owns the social media platform X, has been invited by the Tongan government to the 53rd Pacific Island Leaders Meeting from 26-30 August.

We have contacted the Tongan Prime Minister, Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, for comment.

Following the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Haapai eruption and tsunami in February 2022, Musk came to the aid of the island nation, donating internet terminals through the SpaceX and Starlink Emergency Satellite Service.

The Kingdom is currently in the midst of an internet crisis after its underwater cable was damaged following an earthquake on 29 June.

The outer islands of Ha’apai and Vava’u have had little internet as a result.

The government has granted a provisional temporary permit to Musk’s Starlink to operate for a six-month period.

Prefab houses made from containers are under construction at Vaha’akolo Road, Kolofo’ou, near the National Retirement Benefits Fund building. Photo: MOI / Nuku’alofa, Tonga

Restoration work on damaged undersea cables in the two outlying islands were delayed after a special repair vessel broke down while it was on its way from Singapore.

Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni, told RNZ Pacific earlier this month the timeframe for full internet restoration depends on the scale of damage to the undersea cables.

“We have a limited length of cable for repair so we will have a better idea when the ship is here,” he said.

The vessel was stuck in Suva until last week, and Hu’akavameiliku said: “If it is more than the cable that we have available, then it will take longer. But if it is within the length of the cable that we have, then we can fix it”.

Meanwhile, Matangi Tonga has reported that Hu’akavameiliku is confident 140 prefabricated container houses will be propped up in and around Nuku’alofa by Friday.

Harris’ lead over Trump continues to increase in US national and swing state polls

By

Kaniva Staff

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15/08/2024

The United States presidential election will be held on November 5. In analyst Nate Silver’s aggregate of national polls, Democrat Kamala Harris leads Republican Donald Trump by 46.8–43.7 with 3.9% for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In my previous US politics article on August 5, Harris led Trump by 45.5–44.1.

Joe Biden’s final position before his withdrawal as Democratic candidate on July 21 was a national poll deficit against Trump of 45.2–41.2. By the election, Biden will be almost 82, Trump will be 78 and Harris will be 60.

The US president isn’t elected by the national popular vote, but by the Electoral College, in which each state receives Electoral Votes based mostly on population. Almost all states award their Electoral Votes as winner takes all, and it takes 270 Electoral Votes to win (out of 538 total).

In the states narrowly won by Biden in 2020, Harris leads Trump by 4.1 points in Michigan, 3.8 points in Wisconsin, 2.1 points in Pennsylvania, two points in Nevada and one point in Arizona. Georgia is the only Biden-won state that still has Trump ahead, by 0.5 points. Trump is ahead by 1.1 points in North Carolina, a state he won in 2020.

Get news that’s free, independent and based on evidence.

There has been movement to Harris across all swing states in the past week. If Harris wins all the states she currently leads in, she would win the Electoral College by a 287–251 margin.

Silver’s model gives Harris a 56% chance to win the Electoral College and a 68.5% chance to win the national popular vote. Harris’ Electoral College chances have improved from 50.5% on August 5 and 37% when the Harris vs Trump model was launched on July 29. Trump had a 73% chance to win when his opponent was Biden.

Harris needs at least a two-point win in the national popular vote to be the Electoral College favourite, so the Electoral College is still relatively close. There’s also still plenty of time in which things could go wrong for Harris, or the polls could be understating Trump, as they did in 2020. But currently Harris is the slight favourite to win.

Harris’ net favourability in the FiveThirtyEight tracker of national polls is -4.1, with 48.0% unfavourable and 44.0% favourable, Her net favourablity has surged since Biden’s withdrawal, when it was -16.0. Trump’s net favourability has improved since the mid-July Republican convention, and is now -8.2 (it was -12.0 before the convention).

Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has a -9.4 net favourable rating, down from -3.3 when he was announced at the Republican convention. Harris’ running mate Tim Walz is at about net +5 favourable. Biden’s net approval is still poor at -16.3.

The Democratic convention will take place from Monday to Thursday next week. Normally, major party presidential candidates are well known to voters by this stage, as they need to win the nominations by winning primaries that are held early in an election year.

In this case, Harris has only been the Democratic candidate for three weeks, and so the Democratic convention is a big opportunity for her to personally appeal to voters. Silver’s model will anticipate a bounce for Harris from the convention, and won’t move in her favour unless her bounce is bigger than expected.

Harris’ choice of running mate

Last week, Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice presidential candidate. Media reports suggested the final two candidates for this position were Walz and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

In Silver’s model, Pennsylvania is most likely to be the “tipping point” state. If either Trump or Harris win Pennsylvania, they win the Electoral College over 93% of the time.

The tipping point state is the state that puts the winning candidate over the magic 270 Electoral Votes. It is calculated after the election by ordering all states and their Electoral Votes from biggest Harris to Trump margins, then observing the state and margin that put the winner over 270 Electoral Votes.

The six states that are considered most likely to be won by either Trump or Harris are Nevada (six Electoral Votes), Wisconsin (ten), Arizona (11), Michigan (15), Georgia (16) and Pennsylvania (19). So Pennsylvania is the largest of the swing states.

At the 2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, Shapiro defeated his Republican opponent by a 56.5–41.7 margin in a state that Biden won by just 1.2% in the 2020 presidential election. In a July Pennsylvania poll by Emerson College, Shapiro had a net +18 approval rating, with 49% approving while 31% disapproved.

From the point of view of maximising Harris’ chances of winning Pennsylvania and the election, Shapiro was the better choice. If Harris loses Pennsylvania but gets between 251 and 269 Electoral Votes, so that she would have won with Pennsylvania’s 19, she and Democrats will regret overlooking Shapiro.

In the Electoral College map above that was based on candidate leads in states, if Harris loses Pennsylvania while holding other states she leads in, she loses the Electoral College by 270–268. If she loses Arizona and Nevada but holds Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, she wins by 270–268.

By The Conservation

New Zealand’s largest drug bust: Comanchero Muli Paunga pleads guilty

By

Kaniva Staff

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15/08/2024

By Graig Kapitan of the NZ Herald

A Comancheros member is now facing up to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to having aided the importation of a massive load of methamphetamine disguised as tea bags.

The haul, initially described as 613kg and worth roughly $245 million, was intercepted at Auckland Airport in 2022 as part of a covert investigation dubbed Operation Weirton.

Papatoetoe resident Muli Paunga, 35, appeared in the dock in the High Court at Auckland yesterday wearing the gang’s black and gold colours as he admitted two charges of possessing meth for supply. He is likely to receive a substantial prison term as a result, all parties agreed.

Justice Layne Harvey denied Paunga’s request to remain on bail while awaiting his sentencing hearing, set for November.

Operation Weirton was launched by the Police National Organised Crime Group in August 2020 focusing on another defendant. The 613kg haul, described in court documents as a consignment imported for on-supply by the Comancheros Motorcycle Club, was intercepted by Customs 18 months later after arriving on a flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Paunga, described in the agreed summary of facts as a patched member of the gang, was arrested a week later after authorities caught him in possession of the fake powder substance that had been secretly swapped out by authorities.

Audio and tracking devices had been concealed within the haul.

Court documents state the drugs were retrieved from a shipping company by others on March 1, 2022, and driven in a hired van to Weymouth. Five of the 27 boxes were then loaded into a Nissan Navara registered to Paunga’s father and driven to Paunga’s address, where they were left inside the fenceline of the property.

Police started making arrests a short time later.

“Mr Paunga ran from his address,” court documents state. “He was apprehended several streets away.

“It is accepted that the defendants knew the consignment was very large — requiring a truck and at least two defendants to move it — but may not have known the precise amount of methamphetamine involved (613 kilograms).”

The shipment was described by police as consisting of 27 boxes on a pallet wrapped in black shrink wrap. Each box contained 22 to 23 square-shaped items wrapped in tin foil. Underneath the layer of tinfoil was a further layer of packaging for green tea. Inside each set of packaging was a vacuum-sealed plastic package containing approximately 1kg of methamphetamine.

The 613kg of methamphetamine was later tested and determined to have a purity of 80%, with revised street value of between $98m and $116m.

Police also located just under 450g of low-purity methamphetamine in Paunga’s home unrelated to the consignment. The drugs were found in three locations, in a New World shopping bag, in a Nike shoe box and in a Pyrex container. Police also located Comancheros hoodies and patches.

Other co-defendants have pleaded not guilty and await trial next year.

Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.

Jonah Lomu’s brother appears in court, charged with importing meth

By

Kaniva Staff

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14/08/2024

By Edward Gay, Stuff

The brother of All Black great Jonah Lomu is accused of being involved in importing methamphetamine worth thousands of dollars into New Zealand.

John Makatoa Lomu, the former All Black star’s younger brother, appeared at the Manukau District Court on Friday where his court ordered name suppression lapsed.

The 46-year-old, together with Silila Vaivai, face charges of importing and possessing methamphetamine.

They face further charges of importing and possessing an unknown class-A drug.

John Lomu, younger brother of Jonah Lomu, appears at the Manukau District Court, charged with importing drugs.
RICKY WILSON / Stuff

They have pleaded not guilty to all charges and elected trial by jury.

Judge Nick Webby set a date for the pair to be back in court in October.

Lomu and Vaivai are both on bail.

The Manukau Rugby League under 9s team that Jonah and John Lomu played for, taken from Facebook.
Unknown / Stuff

Lomu declined to talk to Stuff as he left Court and hid his face with his black hoodie.

The offending is said to have happened in August and September 2023.

John and Jonah played rugby league together as children in Manukau.

In 2019, John Lomu told Niu FM that Jonah got him his first car when he was still in school.

Jonah Lomu, aged 40, died from a heart attack in November 2015 following a long struggle with kidney failure.

The rugby superstar played 63 tests for the All Blacks between 1994 and 2002.

In his eight years, mostly in the number 11 jersey, he scored 37 tries.

Lomu’s prowess on the wing was helped by his size and speed and his ability to attack was unrivalled.

A highlight of his career came in the 1995 World Cup semifinal against England in South Africa when he ran straight over and through England’s full back Mike Catt.

– Stuff

Photo of man suffering horrific bruising divides Tongan online community

By

Kaniva Staff

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14/08/2024

A photo of a man in his 20s with a severely bruised torso has caused a stir in the Tongan online community.

The photograph showing the multiple cuts and bruises led some online users to speculate that they were the result of an assault.

Some people, however, thought that the man from Houma, Tongatapu was drunk before he suffered the injuries.

Kaniva News was unable to confirm the authenticity of the photo.

It has been widely shared on social media, with one group attracting 240 reactions and 60 shares.

Abuse in care: Former Wesley College student describes beatings, abuse

Teacher arrested after Vainī student beating

The argument over the photo has drawn strong attention to the spike in crime rate, with some saying the situation has gotten out of hand.

However, there was also concern about the prevalence of domestic violence in Tonga.

Recent reports from the kingdom’s Women and Children Crisis Centre show that, in many domestic violence cases, the perpetrator is a drug user or trafficker, with the centre’s director, ‘Ofa Guttenbeil-Likikiliki, reportedly saying the severity of the violence in the cases was horrific.

The photo has drawn mixed reaction from the online users.

“There is a saying ko e ‘ātunga pe ‘ena ia e konaa’”, a commenter said in Tongan, referring to the saying that “If you drink alcohol, you should be prepared for any troubles that may arise.”.

Some advised the man to change his way of life and attend church activities.

Some sympathised and told commenters to put their shoes in his situation.

“This is a learning experience for the brother”.

Another commenter stated that it is unwise to beat someone and that it should not be condoned.

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US to provide Ukraine with additional security packages

At least two killed in Russian attacks in Kharkiv, Ukrainian authorities say

Symptoms

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