In a recent statement to RNZ Pacific, Tonga’s Police Commissioner, Shane McLennan, said they continue to lead the fight against illicit drugs in Tonga together with partners in the region.
McLennan stressed the importance of collaboration between all stakeholders, including border security and law enforcement agencies, to address the drug problem not only in Tonga but also across the Pacific.
This week Tēvita Nonu Kolokihakaufisi, 39, and his sister ‘Ana Longolongo Kolokihakaufisi, 37, were arrested and charged in connection with the seizure of 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, valued at over TOP$15 million (US$6 million).
McLennan said the arrest of the siblings, similar to recent arrests in Fiji in relation to two major meth bust in Nadi where police seized almost 5 tonnes of meth, shows that intelligence-sharing network in the region is taking positive steps forward.
He also said they’re monitoring the investigations in Fiji as it could well be linked to the recent drug bust in Tonga.
McLennan said that while the Tonga Police works together with His Majesty’s Armed Forces, the Tonga Prisons Services, the Tonga Christian Church Leaders Unit within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, members of the Civil Society Fourm of Tinga and the Prime Minister’s Office in a special National Drug Task Force, they also work with stakeholders across the Pacific.
He said the Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Centre (PTCCC) in Samoa is the focal point for all Transnational Crime Units (TCUs) which are country based and this network informs law enforcement efforts to identify and disrupt organised crime within the Pacific.
“Any major drug discovery and investigation within our region is of significant interest to border security and law enforcement agencies and that is why we have an intelligence network in place to ensure information and intelligence is shared across our region,” he said.
“The PTCCC is actively monitoring the Fiji investigation and is providing actionable intelligence to the TCU network across the Pacific.”
Source: RNZ
