Apia, SAMOA — A 43-year-old man arrested for possession of methamphetamine at Samoa's Faleolo Airport this week is a Samoan living in Alaska, police say.

They told TV1Samoa that the unnamed man had travelled to Samoa for a family funeral.

A joint Customs and Police dog unit discovered 26.6 grams of the banned drug said to be worth $US26,000 on the streets.

The accused was questioned, arrested and charged with possession soon after he arrived on a Fiji Airways flight from Nadi.

He is now in police custody awaiting his first court appearance April 30.