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drug trafficking

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
Apia, SAMOA — Samoa's government says it's considering increasing criminal penalties for drug trafficking following a recent spate of intercepted drugs at the border. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said on TV3 Samoa that there was a need to reconsider penalties of drug convictions. His...
U.S. Federal District Courthouse in Honolulu
Honolulu, HAWAII — An American Samoan man, who was arrested in the territory last year and taken to Hawai’i by federal agents to face federal drug charges, has been sentenced to 2 years in federal prison, while another drug case against him has been dismissed. Alapati Vaivai is one of 14 defendants...
A screenshot of an October 1987 group photo of  those who attended the 16th South Pacific Chiefs of Police Conference
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Some of the delegates for the three-day 48th Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police (PICP) Conference, which opens Wednesday at the Ottoville Professional Building in Tafuna, started arriving over the weekend for the PICP Women’s Advisory Network (WAN) Chair’s Meeting, that...
Falana’ipupu Ta’ase Sagapolutele
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Tackling drug trafficking across the Pacific will top the agenda for a regional gathering of Police top brass beginning in American Samoa this coming week. Some 21 national Chiefs of Police and Police Commissioners have been confirmed to attend the main day of the...
Federal District Court Building in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, HAWAII — The federal judge in Honolulu has denied a Samoan drug defendant’s request to withdraw an earlier guilty plea and he is now set for sentencing later this month. Jeremiah Ieremia pled guilty last year to three drug charges but earlier this year, through his new attorney, filed a...
American Samoa’s Deputy Treasurer, Keith Gebauer [SN file photo]
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Samoa and American Samoa are being used by foreigners who are non-Samoans to smuggle drugs into the countries.  So claims American Samoa’s Deputy Treasurer, Keith Gebauer, in response to questions from the Samoa Observer.  Recently, American Samoa Customs presented to a...