The Ministry for Revenue has issued a stern warning to visitors that Samoa will not tolerate the smuggling of illegal drugs into the country. 

“The Ministry is advising travellers coming in to Samoa to ensure that prohibited items imported into the country are not tolerated and there is strong focus and commitment of the Ministry in protecting its borders.“

The call comes from the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Revenue, Matafeo Avalisa Viali-Fautu, following a second drug bust early Saturday at the Faleolo International Airport. 

A 23-year-old man was allegedly caught with marijuana, says a press statement issued in response to questions from the Samoa Observer. 

The man arrived from Honolulu. He has been charged under the Customs Act 2014 for importation of prohibited goods namely cannabis, hashish oil and one utensil, says the statement. 

“Customs officers in the execution of their duties were able to detect the prohibited substances through profiling and questioning of the passenger and subsequently the baggage search resulted successfully. 

The male has been referred to Samoa Police for further investigation after Customs completed its chain of custody.“ 

The first of two drug busts at the same airport was made on Friday.  

And when the second incident was reported, this did not sit well with Matafeo, who assured Customs will do everything in its powers to protect Samoa's borders.