A drug raid in Leone last Friday led to the arrest of four men and the seizure of methamphetamine and illegal firearms.

Police Commissioner Auapaau Logoitino Filipo confirmed that the four men were found at a house raided by police.

He said the police found illegal weapons, namely pistols and ammunition. He said police also found white crystals, which were later confirmed to be methamphetamine.

He said the four men have been remanded in custody until their court appearance on 26 May.

Auapaau said the police are also looking at laying additional charges. He expressed concern on the rising number of arrests that included meth.

Last week, the Samoa Police also proposed a four-legged assistance scheme to detect hard drugs from the New Zealand Police Commissioner, Sir Richard Chambers, on his visit to Samoa.

“We're open to all sorts of new opportunities that make Samoa a stronger, safer country, just like we want to ensure New Zealand is also stronger and safer,” he said when asked about the possibility of NZ Police establishing a base office in Samoa in partnership with the local authority.

“So we're very open to discussions about what that might look like going forward.”

Samoa Police Commissioner, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo spoke about areas that local enforcement officials needed support from New Zealand and were part of its bilateral discussions.

Auapaau said they are requesting NZ for two K9 dogs: a sniffer dog and a tracking dog to support the operation in the fight against drugs.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Chambers said organised crime, particularly narcotics, is a pervasive problem affecting all countries, including Samoa and New Zealand.

Taking the leading role at Interpol in France's operation focused on organised crime, he pointed out that narcotics are everywhere, and he wanted to better understand what that looks like in Samoa.