The Opposition Leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, said he was against publicising photos, names and villages of people who were suspected of drugs during the police's latest raids.

Speaking during his usual press conference on Wednesday, Tuilaepa said he was shocked when he saw the police putting up pictures and naming the suspects arrested in the raids.

The move stems from a request by Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt to name and shame all those found to be involved in drugs.

"That's defaming people who are still innocent," Tuilaepa said.

"I saw some very young people whose identities were also revealed; that is just not appropriate." 

Tuilaepa believes that all these people whose faces have been exposed by the police on social media are still innocent, and are only found guilty by the court.

"The police should know better; these people are still innocent until they are proven, beyond a reasonable doubt in court, guilty," Tuilaepa elaborated.

"These matters haven't been in court and what the police have done to me is illegal and defaming for these people," he added.

Tuilaepa was setting an example of a murderer in the States who was in prison for 30 years and was later released because he was wrongly accused.

"That's another good example of not exposing the suspects and waiting for the court's verdict because some of them might still be innocent," Tuilaepa said.

The mugshots of 51 drug suspects were published by the police on social media on Monday, and they revealed all these people's identities.

Some of these people's mugshots were shared by many, and people have made defamatory comments against them.

Among them was a 15-year-old. His photo was later removed after this newspaper questioned the acting Police Commissioner, Leiataua Samuelu Afamasaga, about it.

Lawyers have given their opinion on the matter and have warned that such action could open the door for lawsuits.