Close to 100 grams of methamphetamine concealed originating from American Samoa was intercepted by the Ministry of Customs and Revenue (MCR) at the Matautu Wharf on Thursday. A local man and a Filipino woman have been charged.

The street value of the seized drugs is estimated to be around $100,000.

According to a statement, Customs Border Officers detected the prohibited drugs during a routine inspection of consignments arriving from American Samoa at the Matautu Wharf, where officers identified anomalies in the consignment and carried out a detailed examination. 

The prohibited drugs were concealed in a can of Coffee Mate. Customs said the concealment method demonstrated the continued attempts by criminals to smuggle illicit drugs into Samoa through ordinary goods. The swift actions and vigilance of the officers led to the discovery and immediate seizure of the illicit drugs.

A 38-year-old man from Lalovaea, Samusu Aleipata, Fogatuli and Magiagi and a Filipino woman connected to the shipment were referred to the Samoa Police, Prison and Corrections Service (SPPCS). The man was charged with possession and importation of prohibited goods. He is jointly charged with the Filipino national, who was also charged with possession of utensils. 

The Chief Executive Officer, Fonoti Talaitupu Li’a-Taefu, commended the professionalism and commitment of all officers involved in this operation and reaffirmed its dedication to protecting Samoa from the threat of transnational drug smuggling.

"Samoa, we must stand together to eradicate illicit drugs from our community and hold criminals accountable. The cowardly actions of a small number of Samoan criminals involved in the illegal trade of drugs for their own benefits have a huge negative impact on the overall peacefulness of Samoa," she said.