Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Two police officers, a senior manager at the Fiji customs office and a foreign national are among seven people who have been charged so far with allegedly attempting to smuggle four kilograms of methamphetamine into the country.

Border officials seized the drugs, which were concealed in airfreight, at Nadi International Airport during a joint operation between the Fiji Police Force and the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS).

In a joint statement on 19 May, the two organizations said that they had "successfully disrupted a significant attempt to smuggle methamphetamine into the country".

"The interception took place after FRCS Customs Officers identified irregularities during screening of an airfreight consignment from a Southeast African nation. A thorough inspection uncovered several packets concealing over 4 kilograms of methamphetamine."

Authorities are continuing investigations into what they believe may be a wider criminal network, the statement added.

The two police officers who were charged are based at the Counter Narcotics Bureau, which was endorsed by Cabinet in July last year as an independent unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.

Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu and Minister for Police Ioane Naivalarua told reporters that the bureau needs to undergo an urgent review.

Tudravu told fijivillage.com that they are considering a new structure as well as readvertising positions within the bureau.

Meanwhile, the FRCS border manager was denied bail by the Magistrates Court on Monday.

The case has been adjourned to next Tuesday and transferred to the High Court.

[RNZ Pacific]

SOLOMON ISLANDS MANHUNT

Solomon Islands police are hunting a man they alleged raped and murdered a woman in north Guadalcanal last Wednesday.

Superintendent Edwin Sevoa said the dead woman is from North Malaita but had been living in North Guadalcanal with her husband and a small baby she had still been breastfeeding.

Sevoa has appealed to the public for anyone with information to come forward.

[RNZ Pacific]

VANUATU EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY

Australia has announced an additional US$3.8 million in support of Vanuatu's earthquake recovery.

The Vanuatu Daily Post reported this was announced by Australian foreign minister Penny Wong in Port Vila last week.

The money will go towards rebuilding schools and engineering support for more resilient infrastructure.

Wong and Vanuatu prime minister Jotham Napat also discussed the Vanuatu-Australia Nakamal Partnership Agreement, a development cooperation framework expected to be signed in September.

[RNZ Pacific]

MYSTERIOUS ANIMAL APPEARS ABOVE UH MANOA

A mysterious sighting triggered a big search above the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Friday.

Although the animal has not been identified, witnesses said it’s a large cat that has been lurking in the mountain behind the East-West Center since at least Monday.

“I was messing around with my girlfriend’s son, like look a mountain lion,” Donovan Luis said. “Then I took a picture, and I was like wait, wait a minute. And low and behold, it was a big animal.”

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources was notified, and state wildlife teams spent hours searching the area on foot and using a drone to try to spot the animal from above.

But there have been no further sightings since 11:15 a.m.

A city spokesman said all Honolulu Zoo animals are present and accounted for.

(Hawaii News Now)

COOK ISLANDS SHIPPING

The Cook Islands shipping registry has been removed from an information-sharing database which aims to clamp down on tankers avoiding international sanctions.

Lloyds List reports Maritime Cook Islands was removed from the Registry Information Sharing Compact for breaching its policy.

However, Maritime Cook Islands claims it does not allow any sanctioned vessels to remain on its register and wants to know why they were removed.

On Christmas Day, Cook Islands-registered tanker Eagle S was seized in the Baltic Sea by Finnish authorities.

It was believed to be avoiding Russian oil sanctions.

[RNZ Pacific]

PINA SPEAKS OUT

The Pacific Island News Association (PINA) has spoken out in support of Lagi Keresoma, the Samoan journalist facing libel charges.

Keresoma was charged after publishing an article about a former police officer who she asserted had sought the help of the Head of State to withdraw charges brought against him.

PINA has called the matter "a serious concern for medical practitcioners" and a "direct threat to press freedom in Samoa and across the Pacific".

[RNZ Pacific]

SINGLE HANDER PLUS ONE

After 24 days at sea, an Oregon man and his pet cat arrived in Oahu.

Oliver Widger, known as Sailing with Phoenix (@sailingwithphoenix) on Instagram or TikTok, arrived at the Ala Wai Harbor Saturday morning at around 10 a.m.

He was diagnosed with a rare spinal condition, which prompted him to quit his job, buy a boat, and learn how to sail.

The 29-year-old had no open-ocean experience and chronicled his journey on social media, which went viral, and many online supporters followed his progress.

“I never felt truly alone,” Widger said. “I would also like FaceTime like friends and stuff so I didn’t get the full experience, which in a way I wish I did because all of like the legends, you know, that have that have crossed oceans before never had Starlink and stuff and they all like go insane in a way and I wanted to experience that.”

A celebration was held at the Waikiki Yacht Club, where Widger had the chance to finally meet some of the people who followed his journey.

Canoes and several other boats welcomed Widger into the harbor as he sailed in.

Gov. Josh Green presented Widger and his cat, Phoenix, a proclamation honoring their trip during the celebration, adding that their journey “stands out as the story of hope, curiosity, and courage.”

“His bravery, not just becoming a superstar and facing off with all you guys in the world, which is something, but to be out of the sea, and people of Hawaii see the sea is sacred as you know, but it’s sacred also that you would settle here as your first stop and we’re grateful to you so we have just a little something we have a lot of cat food,” Green said.

Widger said that he has some repairs to make on the boat and plans to stay in Hawaii before heading to French Polynesia.

(Hawaii News Now)