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Driver of a car arrested for ice and pot

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ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The driver of a car in which police allegedly found a black bag containing a white crystalline substance, marijuana joints, and drug paraphernalia has been arrested and charged.

Esau Sefo of Tafeta made his initial appearance in District Court last week.

He is charged with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine; and one count of unlawful possession of marijuana — both felonies, carrying a jail term of  5-10 years, a fine of $5,000-$20,000 or both for each count.

Bail is set at $10,000.

THE ALLEGATION

Sefo and a female individual, whose identity Samoa News is withholding until she is formally charged, were in a car that was pulled over by police in Mesepa for speeding on Sept. 8th, 2020. Sefo was the driver.

When asked for identification, Sefo presented a driver’s license and an immigration ID — both of which had expired last year.

The cop, who was speaking to Sefo, said he noticed Sefo using his left hand to push something inside a small hole at the side of the driver’s door.

Officers immediately instructed Sefo to step outside of the vehicle while the female passenger was instructed to remain seated.

Officers opened the driver’s door and saw a small hole that went inside a section of the door. The police found inside the hole a cut up straw commonly used for methamphetamine with white crystalline substance inside.

Officers instructed the passenger to exit the vehicle and they were both taken in for questioning, while the vehicle was impounded.

At the police station, the two cops, who escorted Sefo, said one stamp-sized baggie containing a white crystalline substance fell out when Sefo exited the police unit. One of the officers asked Sefo about the baggie and he responded, “I have no idea. That does not belong to me.”

When police checked where Sefo was seated, they found another stamp-sized baggie containing a white crystalline substance; and during a body search, officers found a baggie containing green leafy substance on Sefo.

An inventory of Sefo’s vehicle netted a small bag in the back seat, containing one glass pipe with white crystalline substance, and a baggie containing a green leafy substance.

The white crystalline substance tested positive for meth, while the green leafy substance tested positive for marijuana.

In his statement to police, Sefo said he bought meth and marijuana from a man at Le Filifili. He said it was for the men building his house. Sefo allegedly told police he bought the drugs for personal use only, and not for resale.

When questioned by police, the passenger explained that she and Sefo are friends, and they were on their way to another friend’s home in the Tafuna area to pick up Sefo’s tool box.

The passenger said she didn’t know Sefo had drugs in the vehicle, but she had heard from their other friend that Sefo had a drug problem, but she had never actually seen him smoke any drugs or have it on him.

According to the passenger, Sefo never told her there were drugs in the vehicle, and she was surprised when police found them. The passenger was released after questioning