Top Drug Dealer continues to evade Police

By Lagi Keresoma

APIA, SAMOA – 12 JANUARY 2022: A man of Faatoia that police refer to as one of the top drug dealers in the country, has again evaded police when police raided his home at Faatoia last Thursday night.

Acting Police Commissioner Auapaau Logo Filipo said police however arrested a man and a woman who were at the dealers place at the time of the raid.

He said the place had been raided at least three times in the past and the evasive drug dealer had been on the police wanted list for some time.

The woman and the man are being retained at police headquarters on the holding charges of possession of narcotics.

The woman is known to police and had served time in prison on the same charges.

More than 20 police officers participated in the raid.

Confiscated items from the raid include:

• 4 utensils used for consuming methamphetamine,
• ST$5000 cash,
• 4 sildenafila 100mg per tab (viagra),
• 1 electronic scale,
• 2 firearms (22 and 42 live) 22 bullets,
• Marijuana leaves weighing .57grams,
• 4 flash drives and 3 hard drives and
• two fake car registration license plates 2PAC and Regulate.

Concern that Apia may become a drug city
The emergence of a high government official’s involvement in illegal drugs two weeks ago has supported claims that class drugs especially methamphetamine or “ice” are now commonly available and using sophisticated systems to distribute.

Before Christmas, police busted and charged the Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission after being under the police radar for sometime.

Police had consistently been monitoring various suspected locations at Nuu, Vaitele, Alamagoto and Faatoia for class drugs.

“We do not want Apia city to be a drug city and that is why we continue to conduct raids on verified information and send the message out that police are aware of the drug dealer’s activities and we are on to them,” said Auapaau.

Some of the fake number plates among illegal weapons and money confiscated by police

Fake license plates investigation
The latest twist in the fight against drugs is the use of fake license plates on vehicles to conduct their business and the police are concerned about how these license plates were obtained.

Investigation is underway on whether the plates were issued by the Land & Transport Authority or whether they were created elsewhere.

Auapaau said LTA allows a family name to be used as a personal registered license plate number rather than using the numbers.

“There are people who requested to have their children’s initials or family name as their registered license plate  identification and they are allowed but at an extra cost,” said Auapaau.

Illegal firearms continue to surface
Illegal firearms were confiscated not only from the recent raids at Nuu Fou and Vaitele, but also at Faatoia.

“We had three gun amnesty in the last two years in which we thought all illegal weapons were destroyed, however, more illegal guns continue to surface,” said Auapaau.

Police are aware that where there are drugs, there are bound to be weapons and it’s the reason why police acts quickly on verified information received.