NUKU’ALOFA (Tonga Wires/Pacnews) — Tongans Kalafitoni Toluta’u, 41, and Simoni Taliai, 39, who pleaded guilty to a joint count of possessing 1.96 grams of methamphetamine, after they were reported to be selling illicit drugs from a car in Ma’ufanga, were jailed.
Justice Cooper earlier this month sentenced Toluta’u to 17 months imprisonment.
This sentence was ordered to be served consecutively with a two-years six-months prison term, he is serving for another offence.
Taliai was sentenced to 17 months imprisonment but with the last six-months suspended, on conditions. He was also convicted on another count of possessing utensils, namely four empty packs and a smoking pipe.
A third co-accused Sosefo Taliai, 23, who pleaded guilty to possession of utensils, namely a broken smoking pipe was sentenced to eight-months imprisonment.
His sentence was fully suspended on conditions, including completing 40-hours of community service. He is Simoni’s younger brother.
The judge said on May 31, 2021, police received information that drugs were being sold by Kalafitoni from his car.
Police immediately deployed its tactical response group, tracker dogs and the Drug Enforcement Task Force to the area and found the defendants in the vehicle in question parked in Ma’ufanga.
Kalafitoni was in the driver’s seat, Simioni in the front passenger seat and Sosefo in the rear of the vehicle.
Police noticed that Kalafitoni appeared to be attempting to conceal something. He was asked to step out of the car, which he did and found on his person was 60 paʻanga or about $25 in cash and three empty dealer packs.
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of two packs of white substance in the front passenger foot well. This transpired to be 1.96 grams of methamphetamine, he said.
The broken pipe was recovered from the rear passenger seats.
A further 30 paʻanga or about $12 was found in a wallet on the dashboard and smoking pipe was recovered from the air vent to the right of the steering wheel.
In addition, a packet of cigarettes was seized from the car and found to contain 90 paʻanga or about $38 and a further empty dealer packet was removed from the compartment between the front seats.
All three were arrested. When they appeared for arraignment all pleaded guilty.
